Arsenic tribromide

Arsenic tribromide is the chemical compound with the formula AsBr₃. This pyramidal molecule is the only known binary arsenic bromide. It forms by the direct reaction of bromine and arsenic. AsBr₃ is noteworthy for its very high refractive index of approximately 2.3. It also has a very high diamagnetic susceptibility.^[1]

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Bromides of arsenic

AsBr₅ is not known, although the corresponding phosphorus compound PBr₅ is known. AsBr₃ is the parent for a series of hypervalent anionic bromoarsenates including [As₂Br₈]²⁻, [As₂Br₉]³⁻, and [As₃Br₁₂]³⁻.^[2]

Organoarsenic bromides, (CH₃)₂AsBr and (CH₃)AsBr₂ are formed efficiently by the copper-catalyzed reaction of methyl bromide with hot arsenic metal. This synthesis is similar to the direct process used for the synthesis of methyl chlorosilanes.

References

1. ^ CRC handbook of Chemistry and Physics, CRC Press
2. ^ Holleman, A. F.; Wiberg, E. "Inorganic Chemistry" Academic Press: San Diego, 2001. ISBN 0-12-352651-5.