Boron tribromide
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Boron tribromide | |
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Systematic name | Boron tribromide |
Molecular formula | BBr3 |
Molar mass | 250.537 g mol−1 |
CAS number | [10294-33-4] |
Density | 2.10 g cm−3 |
Solubility (water) | reacts |
Melting point | −46.3 °C |
Boiling point | 91 °C |
Disclaimer and references |
Boron tribromide, BBr3, is a liquid compound containing boron and bromine. It is usually made by heating boron oxide with carbon in the presence of bromine: this generates free boron which reacts vigourously with the bromine. It is very volatile and fumes in air because it reacts vigorously with water to form boric acid and hydrogen bromide.
This compound is commercially available and acts as a strong Lewis acid, though less so than boron trifluoride and boron trichloride. Boron Tribromide is an excellent demethylating or dealkylating agent for ethers, often in the production of pharmaceuticals. Additionally, it also finds applications in olefin polymerization and in Friedel-Crafts chemistry as a Lewis acid catalyst. The electronics industry uses boron tribromide as a boron source in pre-deposition processes for doping in the manufacture of semiconductors[1].