Formula ZrBr4 Density 4.2 g/cm³ Appearance off-white powder | Molar mass 410.86 g/mol Melting point 450 °C | |
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Zirconium(IV) bromide is the inorganic compound with the formula ZrBr4. This colourless solid is the principal precursor to other Zr–Br compounds.
Contents
Preparation and properties
ZrBr4 is prepared by the action of bromine on zirconium oxide via a carbothermic reaction:
ZrO2 + 2 C + 2 Br2 → ZrBr4 + 2 COLike many related tetrahalides, it is purified by sublimation.
Like related tetrabromides of Ti and Hf, ZrBr4 hydrolyzes readily to give oxy-bromide, with release of hydrogen bromide.
Structure
ZrBr4 adopts the structure seen for the related compounds, TiCl4 and TiBr4, featuring tetrahedral Zr centers. In contrast, ZrCl4 is polymeric in the solid state, featuring octahedral Zr centers.
References
Zirconium(IV) bromide Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA