Conversion of Alkyl Chlorides to Bromides, Selective Reactions of Mixed Bromochloroalkanes, and Halogen Exchange

Abstract

Abstract Primary alkyl chlorides are quantitatively converted to their corresponding bromides in the presence of ethyl bromide, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone, and a catalytic amount of metal bromide. A variety of chlorides can be converted. Selective functionalization at bromine of several primary bromochloroalkanes was studied in conjunction with the chloride-bromide conversion for multistep syntheses. Methods for halogen exchange between chloride, bromide, and iodide in the octyl halide series are presented.