Zirconium(III) bromide is an

inorganic compound In chemistry, an inorganic compound is typically a chemical compound that lacks carbon–hydrogen bonds, that is, a compound that is not an organic compound. The study of inorganic compounds is a subfield of chemistry known as '' inorganic chemist ...

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 ...

ZrBr₃.

Preparation

Almost all the trihalides of titanium, zirconium and hafnium can be prepared by the high-temperature reduction of the corresponding tetrahalide with the metal. Incomplete reaction and contamination of the product with excess metal often occurs. Zirconium(III) bromide can thus be prepared from

zirconium(IV) bromide Zirconium(IV) bromide is the inorganic compound 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 on zirconium oxide via a ...

and

zirconium Zirconium is a chemical element with the symbol Zr and atomic number 40. The name ''zirconium'' is taken from the name of the mineral zircon, the most important source of zirconium. The word is related to Persian '' zargun'' (zircon; ''zar-gun'', ...

foil. :3 ZrBr₄ + Zr → 4 ZrBr₃ Alternatively, zirconium(III) bromide crystallises from a solution of zirconium(III) in aluminium tribromide. The solution is prepared by reducing a eutectic solution of ZrBr₄ in liquid AlBr₃ at a temperature of 230–300 °C with metallic zirconium or aluminium.

Structure and bonding

Zirconium(III) bromide has a lower magnetic moment than is expected for the d¹ metal ion Zr³⁺, indicating non-negligible Zr-Zr bonding. The

crystal structure In crystallography, crystal structure is a description of the ordered arrangement of atoms, ions or molecules in a crystal, crystalline material. Ordered structures occur from the intrinsic nature of the constituent particles to form symmetric pat ...

of zirconium(III) bromide is based on hexagonal close packing of bromide ions with one third of the octahedral interstices occupied by Zr³⁺ ions. The structure consists of parallel chains of face-sharing octahedra with equally spaced metal atoms. There is some elongation of the octahedra along the metal-metal axis, partly due to metal-metal repulsion. ZrCl₃, ZrBr₃ and ZrI₃ all adopt the β-TiCl₃ structure, but the elongation of octahedra is most pronounced in the chloride, moderate in the bromide and negligible in the iodide.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Zirconium(Iii) Bromide Zirconium(III) compounds Bromides Metal halides