Ditellurium bromide explained

Ditellurium bromide is the inorganic compound with the formula Te₂Br. It is one of the few stable lower bromides of tellurium. Unlike sulfur and selenium, tellurium forms families of polymeric subhalides where the halide/chalcogen ratio is less than 2.

Preparation and properties

Te₂Br is a gray solid. Its structure consists of a chain of Te atoms with Br occupying a doubly bridged site. It is prepared by heating tellurium with the appropriate stoichiometry of bromine near 215 °C. The corresponding chloride and iodide, Te₂Cl and Te₂I, are also known.^[1]

Other tellurium bromides include the yellow liquid Te₂Br₂, the orange solid TeBr₄,^[2] and the greenish-black solid TeBr₂.^[3] Complexes of the type TeBr₂(thiourea)₂ are well characterized.^[4]

Notes and References

1. R. Kniep, D. Mootz, A. Rabenau "Zur Kenntnis der Subhalogenide des Tellurs" Zeitschrift für anorganische und allgemeine Chemie 1976, Volume 422, pages 17–38.
2. Zhengtao Xu "Recent Developments in Binary Halogen–Chalcogen Compounds, Polyanions and Polycations" in Handbook of Chalcogen Chemistry: New Perspectives in Sulfur, Selenium and Tellurium, Francesco Devillanova, Editor, 2006, RSC. pp. 381-416. Royal Society
3. 10.1021/ja01201a007. The Structure of Tellurium Dibromide. Max. Rogers. Robert. Spurr. Journal of the American Chemical Society. September 1947. 69. 9. 2102–2103.
4. Complexes of Tellurium Dichloride, Dibromide and Diiodide with Thiourea and Tetramethylselenourea, TeL₂X₂. X-Ray Crystal Structures. Foss, Olav . Maartmann-Moe, Knut . Acta Chemica Scandinavica. 1987. 41a. 121–129. 10.3891/acta.chem.scand.41a-0121. free.