Bromine is trapped with iron turnings to give a solution of ferric bromide.

Ferric bromide and ferric chloride become inactivated if they react with water, including moisture in the air.

Treatment with more iron metal converted the ferric bromide to ferrous bromide via comproportionation.

Also known as ferric bromide, this red-brown odorless compound is used as a Lewis acid catalyst in the halogenation of aromatic compounds.

Iron(II) bromide cannot be formed by the reaction of iron and bromine, because that reaction would produce ferric bromide.