Germanium tetrabromide explained

Germanium tetrabromide is the inorganic compound with the formula GeBr₄. It is a colorless solid that melts near room temperature. It can be formed by treating solid germanium with bromine, or by treating a germanium-copper mixture with bromine:^[1]

From this reaction, GeBr₄ has a heat of formation of 83.3 kcal/mol.^[2]

The compound is liquid at 25 °C, and forms an interlocking liquid structure.^[3] From room temperature down to −60 °C the structure takes on a cubic α form, whereas at lower temperatures it takes on a monoclinic β form.

Notes and References

1. Book: P. W. Schenk. Silicon and Germanium. Handbook of Preparative Inorganic Chemistry, 2nd Ed. . G. Brauer. Academic Press. 1963. NY, NY. 2page=718.
2. Evans . D. F. . Richards . R. E. . 233. The heats of formation of germanium tetrabromide and germanium tetraiodide . Journal of the Chemical Society (Resumed) . Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) . 1952 . 0368-1769 . 10.1039/jr9520001292 . 1292.
3. Swamy . K. N. . Bhuiyan . L. B. . The Reference Interaction Site Model and the Structure of Liquid Germanium Tetrabromide . Physics and Chemistry of Liquids . Informa UK Limited . 9 . 2 . 1980 . 0031-9104 . 10.1080/00319108008084774 . 169–174.