An intriguing effect of lithium perchlorate dispersed on silica gel in the bromination of aromatic compounds by N-bromosuccinimide

A convenient and efficient procedure for electrophilic aromatic bromination has been developed by mixing of N-bromosuccinimide and an aromatic compound at room temperature on the surface of silica gel mixed with solid anhydrous LiClO4. All of the substrates examined underwent clean electrophilic aromatic bromination in reaction times of a few minutes to afford the corresponding bromoarenes under neutral conditions in excellent yield. In the case of thiophenol, no substitution reaction occurred, and the corresponding disulfide was obtained in excellent yield.