Carbonyl bromide, also known as bromophosgene by analogy to

phosgene Phosgene is the organic chemical compound with the formula COCl2. It is a toxic, colorless gas; in low concentrations, its musty odor resembles that of freshly cut hay or grass. Phosgene is a valued and important industrial building block, espe ...

, is an organic

chemical compound A chemical compound is a chemical substance composed of many identical molecules (or molecular entities) containing atoms from more than one chemical element held together by chemical bonds. A molecule consisting of atoms of only one element ...

. It is a

carbon oxohalide Carbon oxohalides are a group of chemical compounds that contain only carbon, oxygen and halogen atoms: fluorine, chlorine, bromine and iodine. They include carbonyl halides, COX2, and oxalyl halides, C2X2O2, where X = F, Cl, Br or I. The halogen ...

. Carbonyl bromide is a decomposition product of halon compounds used in

fire extinguishers A fire extinguisher is a handheld active fire protection device usually filled with a dry or wet chemical used to extinguish or control small fires, often in emergencies. It is not intended for use on an out-of-control fire, such as one which ha ...

Reactions

Carbonyl bromide is formed when

carbon tetrabromide Tetrabromomethane, CBr4, also known as carbon tetrabromide, is a carbon bromide. Both names are acceptable under IUPAC nomenclature. Physical properties Tetrabromomethane has two polymorphs: crystalline II or β below 46.9 °C (320.0 ...

is melted and concentrated

sulfuric acid Sulfuric acid (American spelling and the preferred IUPAC name) or sulphuric acid ( Commonwealth spelling), known in antiquity as oil of vitriol, is a mineral acid composed of the elements sulfur, oxygen and hydrogen, with the molecular formu ...

is added. In contrast to phosgene, carbonyl bromide cannot be produced efficiently from

carbon monoxide Carbon monoxide (chemical formula CO) is a colorless, poisonous, odorless, tasteless, flammable gas that is slightly less dense than air. Carbon monoxide consists of one carbon atom and one oxygen atom connected by a triple bond. It is the simple ...

and

bromine Bromine is a chemical element with the symbol Br and atomic number 35. It is the third-lightest element in group 17 of the periodic table (halogens) and is a volatile red-brown liquid at room temperature that evaporates readily to form a simila ...

. A complete conversion is not possible due to thermodynamic reasons. Additionally, the reaction :CO + Br₂ ⇌ COBr₂ processes slowly at room temperature. Increasing temperature, in order to increase the reaction rate, results in a further shift of the

chemical equilibrium In a chemical reaction, chemical equilibrium is the state in which both the reactants and products are present in concentrations which have no further tendency to change with time, so that there is no observable change in the properties of the sy ...

towards the educts (since Δ_RH < 0 and Δ_RS < 0). On the other hand, carbonyl bromide slowly decomposes to carbon monoxide and elemental bromine even at low temperatures. It is also sensitive to

hydrolysis Hydrolysis (; ) is any chemical reaction in which a molecule of water breaks one or more chemical bonds. The term is used broadly for substitution reaction, substitution, elimination reaction, elimination, and solvation reactions in which water ...

, breaking down into

hydrogen bromide Hydrogen bromide is the inorganic compound with the formula . It is a hydrogen halide consisting of hydrogen and bromine. A colorless gas, it dissolves in water, forming hydrobromic acid, which is saturated at 68.85% HBr by weight at room temper ...

and

carbon dioxide Carbon dioxide (chemical formula ) is a chemical compound made up of molecules that each have one carbon atom covalently double bonded to two oxygen atoms. It is found in the gas state at room temperature. In the air, carbon dioxide is transpar ...

References

{{Reflist Carbonyl compounds Oxobromides Carbon oxohalides