Zirconium Tetrabromide
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Zirconium(IV) bromide is the
inorganic compound An inorganic compound is typically a chemical compound that lacks carbon–hydrogen bonds⁠that is, a compound that is not an organic compound. The study of inorganic compounds is a subfield of chemistry known as ''inorganic chemistry''. Inorgan ...
with the formula ZrBr4. This colourless solid is the principal precursor to other Zr–Br compounds.


Preparation and properties

ZrBr4 is prepared by the action of
bromine Bromine is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol Br and atomic number 35. It is a volatile red-brown liquid at room temperature that evaporates readily to form a similarly coloured vapour. Its properties are intermediate between th ...
on
zirconium oxide Zirconium dioxide (), sometimes known as zirconia (not to be confused with zirconium silicate or zircon), is a white crystalline oxide of zirconium. Its most naturally occurring form, with a monoclinic crystalline structure, is the mineral badde ...
via a
carbothermic reaction Carbothermic reactions involve the reduction of substances, often metal oxides (O2-), using carbon (C) as the reducing agent. The reduction is usually conducted in the electric arc furnace or reverberatory furnace, depending on the metal ore. The ...
: : ZrO2 + 2C + 2Br2 → ZrBr4 + 2CO Like many related tetrahalides, it is purified by sublimation. It can also be prepared by treatment of the borohydride complex with
hydrogen bromide Hydrogen bromide is the inorganic compound with the formula . It is a hydrogen halide consisting of hydrogen and bromine. A colorless gas, it dissolves in water, forming hydrobromic acid, which is saturated at 68.85% HBr by weight at room temper ...
: : Zr(BH4)4 + 4HBr → ZrBr4 + 4H2 + 2B2H6 Like related tetrabromides of Ti and Hf, ZrBr4 hydrolyzes readily to give the oxybromide, with release of
hydrogen bromide Hydrogen bromide is the inorganic compound with the formula . It is a hydrogen halide consisting of hydrogen and bromine. A colorless gas, it dissolves in water, forming hydrobromic acid, which is saturated at 68.85% HBr by weight at room temper ...
.


Structure

No single crystal X-ray study of ZrBr4 has been described. Some reports suggest that it is isostructural with TiCl4 and TiBr4, featuring tetrahedral metal centers. Other studies indicate a polymeric structure. ZrCl4 is polymeric in the solid state, featuring octahedral Zr centers.


References

{{Bromides Bromides Zirconium(IV) compounds Metal halides