The crystal structure of graphite-bromine compounds

Single crystals of naturally occurring graphite which had been treated with bromine vapour have been examined by electron and X-ray diffraction and also by electron microscopy. The intercalated bromine is in the form of layers, interleaved between the graphite layers in a sequence which is dependent upon the concentration of bromine. The structure within a bromine layer is relatively highly ordered and has been shown to take on two forms, one which occurs at concentrations in excess of 47 (wt.) %, the other occurs at lower concentrations. Detailed analysis of the diffraction patterns given by the lower concentration form suggest that it is composed of chains of Br2 molecules, in which the interatomic distances are virtually identical with those of solid bromine.