Ytterbium(II) bromide explained

Ytterbium(II) bromide is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula YbBr₂.

Preparation

Ytterbium(II) bromide can be produced by the reduction reaction of ytterbium(III) bromide and hydrogen at 500~600 °C:^[1]

The ammonia compound can be obtained by reacting metallic ytterbium and ammonium bromide in liquid ammonia at −78 °C. The ammonia compound can be decomposed in high vacuum at 200 °C to obtain ytterbium(II) bromide:

Ytterbium(II) bromide can also be prepared by vacuum reduction of metallic ytterbium at 960 °C:^[2]

Properties

Ytterbium(II) bromide is a light yellow solid and is highly hygroscopic. It can only be stored in an inert atmosphere or high vacuum. It is unstable in air or moisture and rapidly converts to the oxybromide and releases hydrogen gas. Ytterbium(II) bromide belongs to the orthorhombic crystal system, with SrI₂ structure and space group Pbca, or CaCl₂ structure and space group Pnnm. Its unit cell parameters are a=6.63 Å, b=6.93 Å, c=4.47Å.^[3]

Notes and References

1. Book: Handbuch der präparativen anorganischen Chemie. 1 . 1975 . Enke . 978-3-432-02328-1 . 3., umgearb. Aufl . Stuttgart . 1081.
2. Voos-Esquivel . Christine A. . Eick . Harry A. . Apr 1987 . Synthesis of YbBr2 and YbCl2 and an x-ray diffraction study of the system YbBr2YbCl2 . Journal of Solid State Chemistry . en . 67 . 2 . 291–296 . 10.1016/0022-4596(87)90366-5.
3. Beck . Horst. P. . Bärnighausen . H. . Dec 1971 . Zur Kristallchemie der Ytterbium(II)-Halogenide YbCl 2 und YbBr 2 . Zeitschrift für anorganische und allgemeine Chemie . en . 386 . 2 . 221–228 . 10.1002/zaac.19713860214 . 0044-2313.