Formula FeBr3 Melting point 200 °C Appearance brown solid | Molar mass 295.56 g/mol Density 4.5 g/cm³ | |
 | ||
Iron(III) bromide is the chemical compound with the formula FeBr3. Also known as ferric bromide, this red-brown odorless compound is used as a Lewis acid catalyst in the halogenation of aromatic compounds. It reacts with water to give acidic solutions.
Structure, synthesis and basic properties
FeBr3 forms a polymeric structure featuring six-coordinate, octahedral Fe centers. Although inexpensively available commercially, FeBr3 can be prepared by treatment of iron metal with bromine:
2 Fe + 3 Br2 → 2 FeBr3Above 200 °C, FeBr3 decomposes to ferrous bromide:
2FeBr3 → 2FeBr2 + Br2Iron(III) chloride is considerably more stable, reflecting the greater oxidizing power of chlorine. FeI3 is not stable, as iron(III) will oxidize iodide ions.
References
Iron(III) bromide Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA