VOLUME 13 NUMBER 1 (January to June 2020)

Beyond the stench, bromine bodes well

Bromine (symbol, Br) is a chemical element with atomic number 35. It was discovered in the ashes of fucus (a seaweed) in 1826 by the French chemist, Antoine Balard, and was initially named brôme (Balard 1826). Due to its unpleasant odor, the name bromine derived from the Greek word bromos meaning “stench” was coined. Bromine belongs to the halogen group, with properties that are in-between those of chlorine and iodine. At room temperature, bromine (chemical formula, Br2) is a red-brown liquid that readily evaporates and is soluble in water. It is extremely reactive and so it is not found in free form in nature. It occurs in white crystalline bromide salts that are akin to table salt, sodium chloride.