An environmentally benign synthesis of organic ammonium tribromides (OATB) and bromination of selected organic substrates by tetrabutylammonium tribromide (TBATB)

Stable crystalline organic ammonium tribromides (OATB), like Me4Br3, Et4NBr3, Bu4NBr3, cetyltrimethylammonium tribromide, PyHBr3, can be readily synthesised from the reaction of the corresponding bromides with V2O5 and aqueous H2O2. Typically, TBATB, Bu4NBr3, brominates a variety of organic substrates rather easily under mild conditions. An activated aromatic ring is selectively brominated in the presence of an olefinic double bond. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.