Nitrogen tribromide is a chemical compound with the formula NBr₃. It is extremely explosive in its pure form, even at −100 °C, and was not isolated until 1975. It is a deep-red and volatile solid.

Preparation

NBr₃ was first prepared by reaction of bistrimethylsilylbromamine ( bis(trimethylsilyl)amine bromide) with

bromine monochloride Bromine monochloride, also called bromine(I) chloride, bromochloride, and bromine chloride, is an interhalogen inorganic compound with chemical formula BrCl. It is a very reactive golden yellow gas with boiling point 5 °C and melting point � ...

(with

trimethylsilyl chloride Trimethylsilyl chloride, also known as chlorotrimethylsilane is an organosilicon compound (silyl halide), with the formula (CH3)3SiCl, often abbreviated Me3SiCl or TMSCl. It is a colourless volatile liquid that is stable in the absence of water. I ...

as byproduct) at −87 °C according to the following equation: :(Me₃Si)₂NBr + 2 BrCl → NBr₃ + 2 where "Me" is a

methyl group In organic chemistry, a methyl group is an alkyl derived from methane, containing one carbon atom bonded to three hydrogen atoms, having chemical formula . In formulas, the group is often abbreviated as Me. This hydrocarbon group occurs in ma ...

Reactions

Nitrogen tribromide reacts instantly with

ammonia Ammonia is an inorganic compound of nitrogen and hydrogen with the formula . A stable binary hydride, and the simplest pnictogen hydride, ammonia is a colourless gas with a distinct pungent smell. Biologically, it is a common nitrogenous ...

dichloromethane Dichloromethane (DCM or methylene chloride, methylene bichloride) is an organochlorine compound with the formula . This colorless, volatile liquid with a chloroform-like, sweet odour is widely used as a solvent. Although it is not miscible wit ...

solution at −87 °C to yield NBrH₂. :NBr₃ + 2 NH₃ → 3 NH₂Br It also reacts with

iodine Iodine is a chemical element with the Symbol (chemistry), symbol I and atomic number 53. The heaviest of the stable halogens, it exists as a semi-lustrous, non-metallic solid at standard conditions that melts to form a deep violet liquid at , ...

solution at −87 °C to produce NBr₂I, which is a red-brown solid that stable up to -20 °C. :NBr₃ + I₂ → NBr₂I + IBr

References

{{Nitrides Inorganic amines Bromides Nitrogen halides Substances discovered in the 1970s Bromine(I) compounds