New Approach for the Simple and Economic Preparation of Inorganic Bromide Salts

A variety of inorganic bromide salts are prepared from the respective chloride salts by reaction with 1,2-dibromoethane. The reaction is carried out under convenient phase-transfer catalytic conditions. The conversion and yield are quantitative; the reaction equilibrium is shifted by in situ distillation of the organic product, 1-bromo-2-chloroethane. The proposed technique is suited for large-scale production of common inorganic bromides as well as for the laboratory-scale preparation of commercially unavailable bromide salts.