Methanol → 3-Bromo-4-methylthiophene

Participants

Reaction Steps

A catholyte of 2 l of methanol, 500 ml of methylene chloride, 1 g of zinc chloride, 5 g of tetraethylammonium bromide and 159 g of a mixture of 3-methyl-2,4,5-tribromothiophene (95%) and 3-bromomethyl-2,5-dibromothiophene (5%) was electrolysed in the electrolysis cell 1 at a current density of 100 mA/cm2, a voltage of 7 to 8 V and a temperature of 28° to 38° C. The current consumption was 53 Ah. During the electrolysis, the pH of the catholyte was kept at a value between 5 and 7 by addition of a total of 150 g of sodium hydroxide in portions. After addition of 2 l of water to the catholyte, phase separation, extraction with CF2Cl--CFCl2 and removal of the solvent by distillation, 73.67 g of 3-bromo-4-methylthiophene (yield: 89.9%), 1.47 g of 2,4-dibromo-3-methylthiophene and 2,3-dibromo-4-methylthiophene (yield: 1.2%) and 4.16 g of 3-methylthiophene (yield: 8.9%) were obtained.

Provenance & Evidence