The Formation of High‐Order Polybromides in a Room‐Temperature Ionic Liquid: From Monoanions ([Br₅]⁻ to [Br₁₁]⁻) to the Isolation of [PC₁₆H₃₆]₂[Br₂₄] as Determined by van der Waals Bonding Radii

Abstract

An unprecedented diversity of high-order bromine catenates (anionic polybromides) was generated in a tetraalkylphosphonium-based room temperature ionic liquid system. Raman spectroscopy was used to identify polybromide monoanions ranging from [Br5 ](-) to [Br11 ](-) in the bulk solution, while single-crystal X-ray diffraction identified extended networks of linked [Br11 ](-) units, forming a previously unknown polymeric [Br24 ](2-) dianion. This represents the largest polybromide species identified to date. In combination with recent work, this suggests that other, higher order molecular polybromide ions might be isolated.