Vibrational spectra of solid, molten and matrix isolated antimony tribromide, SbBr 3

Abstract

The condensed phase and matrix isolation IR and Raman spectra of antimony tribromide are reported. The solid-state spectrum comprises bands assignable to both molecular SbBr 3 and ionic SbBr 6 − species. The frequency shifts and mode sequence in the melt spectrum indicate strong dipole-dipole interactions. The matrix isolation spectra show bands of monomeric SbBr 3 and of its centrosymmetric dimer, but no features of cooperative interactions. A “bond fluctuation” explanation, previously forwarded for antimony trichloride, is considered to be further substantiated by the present findings.