Zilverbromide

Zilverbromide is the common name for silver bromide, a binary inorganic salt with the formula AgBr. It consists of silver cations (Ag+) and bromide anions (Br−). The compound is widely known for its historic role in photography and its characteristic light sensitivity.

Zilverbromide forms pale yellow to grayish crystalline solids. It crystallizes in the rock-salt (face-centered cubic) structure and has a relatively high melting point with very low solubility in water. It dissolves in certain complexing solutions, such as concentrated ammonia or cyanide, forming soluble silver-ammine or silver-cyanide complexes.

Synthesis is typically by precipitating AgBr from solution, for example by mixing a soluble silver salt (such as silver nitrate, AgNO3) with a bromide source (such as potassium bromide, KBr): AgNO3 + KBr → AgBr ↓ + KNO3. The solid is usually washed and stored in darkness to preserve its light-sensitive properties.

In photochemistry and applications, exposure to light reduces Ag+ to metallic silver, forming a latent image within photographic emulsions. This photoreactivity made silver bromide central to traditional film photography and paper processes. It has also found use in certain photodetector materials and as a reference halide in laboratory studies.

Safety and handling: silver bromide is of relatively low acute toxicity but can be hazardous if ingested or inhaled as dust. It should be handled under appropriate safety practices, stored in dark, dry conditions to prevent unintended development, and disposed of according to local environmental regulations.

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