Bromide ion → 2-Bromooctadecanoic acid

Participants

Reaction Conditions

Reaction Steps

Stearic acid (42.6 g) was heated in an oil bath to 90° C. until it melted. Phosphorus trichloride (0.6 ml) was added to the melt while bromide (8.5 ml) was added dropwise over 3 hours under stirring. Another portion (7.7 ml) of bromine was added dropwise over 2.5 hours, and thereafter the mixture was heated at 90° C. for 3.5 hours. The reaction mixture was cooled, followed by the addition of 200 ml of carbon tetrachloride and 100 ml of water. The organic layer was dried with anhydrous sodium sulfate and the solvent was distilled off under vacuum to give a yellow oily substance. The substance was dissolved in 60 ml of ethanol under heating, then the solution was cooled to produce a pale yellow solid product.

Provenance & Evidence