Hypobromous acid

Hypobromous acid

Only in solution stable, weakly dissociated acid

8.68

Soluble in water

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As hypobromous acid, hypobromous acid also outdated, the oxygen acid of the bromine in the 1 oxidation state is indicated by the empirical formula HBrO. It is only stable in solution and can not be obtained in pure form. Its salts and esters are referred to as hypobromite.

Production and representation

Hypobromous acid is obtained by disproportionation of molecular bromine in water.

In order to shift the equilibrium, which is located on the left side in the desired direction, the resulting hydrogen bromide is trapped with an excess of mercury ( II ) oxide:

Elaboration of the resulting solution of hypobromous acid can accumulate up to a level of 6%.

Properties

Hypobromous acid forms, as we their salts, yellow-colored solutions of aromatic odor. The acid and its salts are unstable and tend to disproportionate into hydrobromic acid and hydrobromic acid, respectively, in bromide and bromate. Production and storage must therefore be carried out at 0 ° C.

It is a weak acid and a strong oxidizing agent. In acidic solution, the standard potential for the couple is 1.34 V. HBrO/Br-

Use

Due to its oxidizing property hypobromite find application as a bleaching agent and disinfectant. The best results are achieved here, when used in combination with the homologous hypochlorous acid.