Nickel(II) bromide is the name for the inorganic compounds with the chemical formula NiBr<sub>2</sub>(H<sub>2</sub>O)<sub>x</sub>. The value of x can be 0 for the anhydrous material, as well as 2, 3, or 6 for the three known hydrate forms. The anhydrous material is a yellow-brown solid which dissolves in water to give blue-green hexahydrate (see picture).
The structure of the nickel bromides varies with the degree of hydration. In all of these cases, the nickel(II) ion adopts an octahedral molecular geometry. Similar structures are observed in aqueous solutions of nickel bromide.
NiBr<sub>2</sub> has Lewis acid character, as indicated by its tendency to hydrate and form adducts with a variety of other Lewis bases.
NiBr<sub>2</sub> is also used to prepare catalysts for cross-coupling reactions and various carbonylations. NiBr<sub>2</sub>-glyme shows increased activity compared to NiCl<sub>2</sub>-glyme for some transformations.