CHBr

CHBr is a chemical formula consisting of one carbon atom, one hydrogen atom, and one bromine atom. It is not a single well-defined compound but a shorthand used in chemistry to denote transient species that can arise in gas-phase reactions. In practice, CHBr most often refers to a carbon-centered radical or a short-lived molecular fragment, rather than a stable molecule.

Because CHBr species are typically highly reactive and short-lived, they have not been isolated as stable substances under ordinary conditions. Their structures are usually discussed in the context of theoretical chemistry or in situ spectroscopic observations. Possible interpretations include a bromomethylidyne- or bromomethylidene-type radical, in which bromine and hydrogen are bonded to a carbon center with an unpaired electron. The exact bonding arrangement can influence properties such as bond lengths, energies, and reactivity, which are explored primarily through quantum chemical calculations and radical-sensitive spectroscopy.

Formation and detection of CHBr species occur in high-energy environments such as combustion processes, photolysis of brominated hydrocarbons, or plasma-assisted reactions. They are studied using techniques capable of detecting short-lived radicals, including mass spectrometry, laser-induced fluorescence, and other advanced spectroscopic methods, often complemented by computational modeling to assign structures and lifetimes.

CHBr is distinct from related stable molecules such as CH and from more stable halomethyl compounds like CH2Br. It is of interest mainly for understanding halogen chemistry, radical reaction mechanisms, and models of atmospheric or interstellar chemistry.

See also CH radical, CH2Br radical, bromomethyl radical, halomethylidyne.