Bromine monochloride

Bromine monochloride, also called bromine chloride, bromochloride, and bromine chloride, is an interhalogen inorganic compound with chemical formula BrCl. It is a very reactive golden yellow gas with boiling point 5 °C and melting point −66 °C. Its CAS number is 13863-41-7, and its EINECS number is 237-601-4. It is a strong oxidizing agent. Its molecular structure in the gas phase was determined by microwave spectroscopy; the Br-Cl bond has a length of r_e = 2.1360376 Å. Its crystal structure was determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction; the bond length in the solid state is 2.179 Å and the shortest intermolecular interaction is r = 3.145 Å.

Uses

Bromine monochloride is used in analytical chemistry in determining low levels of mercury, to quantitatively oxidize mercury in the sample to Hg state.
A common use of bromine monochloride is as an algaecide, fungicide, and disinfectant of industrial recirculating cooling water systems.
Addition of bromine monochloride is used in some types of Li-SO₂ batteries to increase voltage and energy density.