Scandium bromide explained

Scandium bromide, or ScBr₃, is a trihalide, hygroscopic, water-soluble chemical compound of scandium and bromine.

Preparation and properties

ScBr₃ is produced through the burning of scandium in bromine gas.^[1]

2 Sc(s) + 3 Br₂(g) → 2 ScBr₃(s)

Scandium bromide can also be prepared by reacting excess hydrobromic acid with scandium oxide, and the hexahydrate can be crystallized from the solution. The thermal decomposition of hexahydrate can only yield scandium oxybromide (ScOBr) and scandium oxide.^[2] The anhydrous form can be produced by the reaction of bromine, scandium oxide and graphite in nitrogen gas.^[3]

Heating reaction between ammonium bromide and scandium oxide or scandium bromide hexahydrate, through (NH₄)₃ScBr₆ intermediate, decomposes to obtain anhydrous scandium bromide.^[4]

Uses

Scandium bromide is used for solid state synthesis of unusual clusters such as Sc₁₉Br₂₈Z₄, (Z=Mn, Fe, Os or Ru). These clusters are of interest for their structure and magnetic properties.^[5]

Notes and References

1. Web site: WebElements Periodic Table » Scandium » reactions of elements.
2. Petrů . F. . Kůtek . F. . 1960 . Beiträge zur Chemie seltener Elemente X. Basische Scandiumhalogenide . Collection of Czechoslovak Chemical Communications . en . 25 . 4 . 1143–1147 . 10.1135/cccc19601143 . 1212-6950.
3. Reid . Allen Forrest . Wadsley . Arthur D. . Sienko . Michell J. . Jan 1968 . Crystal chemistry of sodium scandium titanate, NaScTiO4, and its isomorphs . Inorganic Chemistry . 7 . 1 . 112–118 . 10.1021/ic50059a024 . 0020-1669.
4. Meyer . Gerd . Dötsch . Siegfried . Staffel . Thomas . 1987-01-01 . The ammonium-bromide route to anhydrous rare earth bromides MBr3 . Journal of the Less Common Metals . 127 . 155–160 . 10.1016/0022-5088(87)90372-9 . 0022-5088.
5. Web site: Scandium(III) bromide | CAS 13465-59-3.