Aluminium bromide

Aluminium bromide

Names
Preferred IUPAC name Aluminium bromide
Other names Aluminic bromide Aluminium(III) bromide Aluminium tribromide
Identifiers
CAS Number	7727-15-3 Y 7784-11-4 hexahydrate Y
3D model (JSmol)	Interactive image dimer: Interactive image
ChemSpider	22818 Y 9040513 hemi(acetyl bromide) Y 9499890 ethanethiol Y
ECHA InfoCard	100.028.891
EC Number	231-779-7
PubChem CID	24409 11062022 tertikis(tetrachloromethane) 10865226 hemi(acetyl bromide) 11324936 ethanethiol 6093832 tris(pyridine)
RTECS number	BD0350000
UNII	IY20HBK5LK Y
UN number	1725
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)	DTXSID2064783
InChI InChI=1S/Al.3BrH/h;3*1H/q+3;;;/p-3 Y Key: PQLAYKMGZDUDLQ-UHFFFAOYSA-K Y InChI=1/Al.3BrH/h;3*1H/q+3;;;/p-3 Key: PQLAYKMGZDUDLQ-DFZHHIFOAT
SMILES Br[Al](Br)Br dimer: Br[Al-]1(Br)[Br+][Al-]([Br+]1)(Br)Br
Properties
Chemical formula	AlBr3 Al2Br6 AlBr3·6H2O (hexahydrate)
Molar mass	266.694 g/mol (anhydrous) 374.785 g/mol (hexahydrate)[1]
Appearance	white to pale yellow powder[1]
Odor	pungent
Density	3.2 g/cm3 (anhydrous) 2.54 g/cm3 (hexahydrate)[1]
Melting point	97.5 °C (anhydrous) 93 °C (hexahydrate)[1]
Boiling point	255 °C (anhydrous)[1]
Solubility in water	very soluble, partially hydrolyses indicated by a fuming solution and an optional appearance of white precipitate
Solubility	slightly soluble in methanol, diethyl ether, acetone
Structure[2]
Crystal structure	Monoclinic, mP16 (anhydrous)
Space group	P21/c, No. 14
Lattice constant	a = 0.7512 nm, b = 0.7091 nm, c = 1.0289 nm α = 90°, β = 96.44°, γ = 90°
Formula units (Z)	4
Thermochemistry[1]
Heat capacity (C)	100.6 J/(mol·K)
Std molar entropy (S⦵298)	180.2 J/(mol·K)
Std enthalpy of formation (ΔfH⦵298)	-572.5 kJ/mol
Hazards
GHS labelling:
Pictograms
Signal word	Danger
Hazard statements	H302, H314
Precautionary statements	P260, P264, P270, P280, P301+P312, P301+P330+P331, P303+P361+P353, P304+P340, P305+P351+P338, P310, P321, P330, P363, P405, P501
NFPA 704 (fire diamond)	3 1 1
Lethal dose or concentration (LD, LC):
LD50 (median dose)	1598 mg/kg (oral, rat)
Related compounds
Other anions	aluminium trichloride aluminium triiodide
Other cations	boron tribromide
Related compounds	iron(III) bromide
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa). Y verify (what is YN ?) Infobox references

Aluminium bromide is any chemical compound with the empirical formula AlBr_x. Aluminium tribromide is the most common form of aluminium bromide.^[3] It is a colorless, sublimable hygroscopic solid; hence old samples tend to be hydrated, mostly as aluminium tribromide hexahydrate (AlBr₃·6H₂O).

Structure

The dimeric form of aluminium tribromide (Al₂Br₆) predominates in the solid state, in solutions in noncoordinating solvents (e.g. CS₂), in the melt, and in the gas phase. Only at high temperatures do these dimers break up into monomers:

Al₂Br₆ → 2 AlBr₃ ΔH°_diss = 59 kJ/mol

The species aluminium monobromide forms from the reaction of HBr with Al metal at high temperature. It disproportionates near room temperature:

6/n "[AlBr]_n" → Al₂Br₆ + 4 Al

This reaction is reversed at temperatures higher than 1000 °C. Aluminium monobromide has been crystallographically characterized in the form the tetrameric adduct Al₄Br₄(NEt₃)₄ (Et = C₂H₅). This species is electronically related to cyclobutane. Theory suggests that the diatomic aluminium monobromide condenses to a dimer and then a tetrahedral cluster Al₄Br₄, akin to the analogous boron compound.^[4]

Al₂Br₆ consists of two AlBr₄ tetrahedra that share a common edge. The molecular symmetry is D_2h.

The monomer AlBr₃, observed only in the vapor, can be described as trigonal planar, D_3h point group. The atomic hybridization of aluminium is often described as sp². The Br-Al-Br bond angles are 120°.

Synthesis

By far the most common form of aluminium bromide is Al₂Br₆. This species exists as hygroscopic colorless solid at standard conditions. Typical impure samples are yellowish or even red-brown due to the presence of iron-containing impurities. It is prepared by the reaction of HBr with Al:

2 Al + 6 HBr → Al₂Br₆ + 3 H₂

Alternatively, the direct bromination occurs also:

2 Al + 3 Br₂ → Al₂Br₆

Reactions

Al₂Br₆ dissociates readily to give the strong Lewis acid, AlBr₃. Regarding the tendency of Al₂Br₆ to dimerize, it is common for heavier main group halides to exist as aggregates larger than implied by their empirical formulae. Lighter main group halides such as boron tribromide do not show this tendency, in part due to the smaller size of the central atom.

Consistent with its Lewis acidic character, Al₂Br₆ is hydrolyzed by water with evolution of HBr and formation of Al-OH-Br species. Similarly, it also reacts quickly with alcohols and carboxylic acids, although less vigorously than with water. With simple Lewis bases (L), Al₂Br₆ forms adducts, such as AlBr₃L.

Aluminium tribromide reacts with carbon tetrachloride at 100 °C to form carbon tetrabromide:

4 AlBr₃ + 3 CCl₄ → 4 AlCl₃ + 3 CBr₄

and with phosgene yields carbonyl bromide and aluminium chlorobromide:^{[citation needed]}

AlBr₃ + COCl₂ → COBr₂ + AlCl₂Br

Al₂Br₆ is used as a catalyst for the Friedel-Crafts alkylation reaction.^[3] Related Lewis acid-promoted reactions include as epoxide ring openings and decomplexation of dienes from iron carbonyls. It is a stronger Lewis acid than the more common Al₂Cl₆.

Safety

Aluminium tribromide is a highly reactive material.^[5]

References

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