Scandium bromide refers to inorganic compounds with the formula ScBr3(H2O)n. The anhydrous trihalide is hygroscopic. Both anhydrous and the hydrate are water soluble, diamagnetic, and colorless.
Preparation and properties ScBr3 can be produced by "burning" scandium in bromine gas.
2 Sc + 3 Br2 → 2 ScBr3
Scandium bromide can also be prepared by treating excess hydrobromic acid with scandium oxide. The heptahydrate can be crystallized from the solution. According to X-ray crystallogrphy, featureseven-coordinate Sc3+. The thermal decomposition of the hydrate yields scandium oxybromide (ScOBr) and scandium oxide. The anhydrous form can be produced by the reaction of bromine, scandium oxide and graphite in nitrogen gas.
Heating reaction between ammonium bromide and scandium oxide or scandium bromide hexahydrate, through (NH4)3ScBr6 intermediate, decomposes to obtain anhydrous scandium bromide.
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.
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