Titanium tetrabromide is the

chemical compound A chemical compound is a chemical substance composed of many identical molecules (or molecular entities) containing atoms from more than one chemical element held together by chemical bonds. A molecule consisting of atoms of only one element ...

with the

formula In science, a formula is a concise way of expressing information symbolically, as in a mathematical formula or a ''chemical formula''. The informal use of the term ''formula'' in science refers to the general construct of a relationship betwee ...

TiBr₄. It is the most volatile transition metal bromide. The properties of TiBr₄ are an average of TiCl₄ and TiI₄. Some key properties of these four-coordinated Ti(IV) species are their high Lewis acidity and their high solubility in nonpolar organic solvents. TiBr₄ is diamagnetic, reflecting the d⁰ configuration of the metal centre.

Preparation and structure

This four-coordinated complex adopts a tetrahedral geometry. It can be prepared via several methods: (i) from the elements, (ii) via the reaction of TiO₂ with carbon and bromine (see

Kroll process The Kroll process is a pyrometallurgical industrial process used to produce metallic titanium from titanium tetrachloride. The Kroll process replaced the Hunter process for almost all commercial production. Process In the Kroll process, the TiCl ...

), and (iii) by treatment of TiCl₄ with HBr.

Reactions

Titanium tetrabromide forms adducts such as TiBr₄(

THF Tetrahydrofuran (THF), or oxolane, is an organic compound with the formula (CH2)4O. The compound is classified as heterocyclic compound, specifically a cyclic ether. It is a colorless, water- miscible organic liquid with low viscosity. It is ...

)₂ and iBr₅sup>−. With bulky donor ligands, such as 2-methylpyridine (2-Mepy), five-coordinated adducts form. TiBr₄(2-MePy) is trigonal bipyramidal with the pyridine in the equatorial plane. TiBr₄ has been used as a Lewis-acid

catalyst Catalysis () is the process of increasing the rate of a chemical reaction by adding a substance known as a catalyst (). Catalysts are not consumed in the reaction and remain unchanged after it. If the reaction is rapid and the catalyst recyc ...

organic synthesis Organic synthesis is a special branch of chemical synthesis and is concerned with the intentional construction of organic compounds. Organic molecules are often more complex than inorganic compounds, and their synthesis has developed into one o ...

. The tetrabromide and tetrachlorides of titanium react to give a statistical mixture of the mixed tetrahalides, TiBr_4−xCl_x (x = 0-4). The mechanism of this redistribution reaction is uncertain. One proposed pathway invokes the intermediacy of

dimer Dimer may refer to: * Dimer (chemistry), a chemical structure formed from two similar sub-units ** Protein dimer, a protein quaternary structure ** d-dimer * Dimer model, an item in statistical mechanics, based on ''domino tiling'' * Julius Dimer ...

Safety

TiBr₄ hydrolyzes rapidly, potentially dangerously, to release

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 ...

, otherwise known as hydrobromic acid.

References

{{bromine compounds Bromides Titanium halides Titanium(IV) compounds