Sodium bromate is a powerful brominating agent for aromatic compounds that
contain deactivating substituents. A bromination process, in which sodium b
romate was utilized, was, optimized on laboratory scale, Addition of a stro
ng acid into a stirred aqueous solution, or slurry, of the substrate and br
omate salt at 40-100 degrees C, leads to the decomposition of the bromate i
ons and production of the active brominating species. Substrates such as ni
trobenzene, benzoic acid, and benzaldehyde were brominated in high yields (
85-98%) and specificity, The reaction is especially useful for the brominat
ion of disubstituted benzenes, such as 4-nitrofluorobenzene or 4-fluorobenz
oic acid. Several substrates, such as dinitrobenzenes or nitrobenzoic acids
, did not undergo bromination at all, The main parameters of the reaction a
nd some of its synthetic potential are discussed.