Titanium(III) bromide is the inorganic compound with the formula TiBr3. It is a blue black paramagnetic solid with a reddish reflection. It has few applications, although it is a catalyst for the polymerization of alkenes.
Production and structure
TiBr3 can be produced by heating the tetrabromide in an atmosphere of hydrogen: 2TiBr4 + H2 → 2TiBr3 + 2HBr It can also be produced by comproportionation of titanium metal and titanium tetrabromide. Ti + 3TiBr4 → 4TiBr3
Two polymorphs of TiBr3 are known, each exhibiting octahedral Ti centers.
Reactions
Heating the tribromide gives titanium(II) bromide together with the volatile tetrabromide: 2 TiBr3 → TiBr4 + TiBr2
The solid dissolves in donor solvents (L) such as pyridine and nitriles to produce 3:1 adducts: TiBr3 + 3 L → TiBr3L3