Bromoethane

Ethyl bromide

Colorless, highly refractive liquid with ethereal odor

Liquid

1.46 g · cm -3 ( 20 ° C)

-119 ° C

38 ° C.

507 hPa ( 20 ° C)

9 g · l-1 in water (20 ° C)

1.4239 (20 ° C)

Risk

1350 mg · kg -1 ( LD50, rat, oral)

-90.5 KJ / mol

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Bromoethane (also ethyl bromide, Abbr: EtBr ) is a brominated derivative of ethane and thus a haloalkane. It should not be confused with methyl bromide ( CH3Br ).

Representation

In the laboratory, bromoethane can be represented by the reaction of ethanol with phosphorus tribromide PBr3. As a byproduct phosphonic acid PH (OH ) 2O.

Properties

Bromoethane is a colorless to yellowish liquid whose vapors are heavier than air at room temperature. With air bromoethane vapors form flammable explosive mixtures.

When heated, it decomposes to form ethene and hydrogen bromide.

By the electro- negative bromine the adjacent carbon atom is positively polarized. Thus bromoethane acts in many chemical reactions as an electrophilic reagent.

Use

Bromoethane finds versatile use in organic synthesis, especially for the introduction of ethyl groups in organic compounds. In Grignard reactions, the ethyl group of Brome Thane is " reversed " into a carbon nucleophile, which opens up a number of other synthetic applications.

Earlier it was used for anesthetic purposes.

Safety

Skin contact, inhalation and ingestion of bromoethane is harmful. Eyes, respiratory system and skin are strongly excited by bromoethane. For absorption through the skin liver, lung and kidney injuries may occur. In animal studies, the carcinogenic effects of bromoethane was clearly demonstrated. Bromoethane also has narcotic effect.

Others

The frequently encountered in publications short formula EtBr for bromoethane goes back to the internationally recognized abbreviation Et for the ethyl group. In the life science fields, this can lead to confusion, because there EtBr is used as shorthand for the phenanthridine dye ethidium bromide, which is used as a detection reagent for nucleic acids.