Aluminium + Bromine = Aluminium Bromide
Aluminium bromide is a chemical compound that can be formed by the reaction of aluminium and bromine. The reaction is an example of a synthesis reaction, where two or more elements or compounds combine to form a single product.
The reaction between aluminium and bromine is highly exothermic and produces a lot of heat, so it must be carried out with caution. When aluminium and bromine are mixed together, the bromine molecules break apart into individual atoms due to the high reactivity of aluminium. These atoms then react with the aluminium atoms to form aluminium bromide (AlBr3).
The balanced chemical equation for the reaction is:
2Al + 3Br2 → 2AlBr3
In this equation, two atoms of aluminium react with three molecules of bromine to produce two molecules of aluminium bromide. The stoichiometry of the reaction shows that aluminium bromide is a compound made up of two aluminium atoms and three bromine atoms.
Aluminium bromide is a white or yellowish crystalline solid at room temperature, and it has a high melting point of about 192°C. Aluminium bromide is highly reactive and can easily hydrolyze in the presence of water, releasing hydrogen bromide gas. It is also a Lewis acid, which means it can accept electron pairs from other molecules or ions, making it useful in organic synthesis reactions as a catalyst.