Bromoacetic acid is the
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 ...
with the
formula CH
2BrCO
2H. This colorless solid is a relatively strong
alkylating agent
Alkylation is the transfer of an alkyl group from one molecule to another. The alkyl group may be transferred as an alkyl carbocation, a free radical, a carbanion, or a carbene (or their equivalents). Alkylating agents are reagents for effectin ...
. Bromoacetic acid and its esters are widely used building blocks in
organic synthesis, for example, in pharmaceutical chemistry.
The compound is prepared by bromination of
acetic acid, such as by a
Hell–Volhard–Zelinsky reaction or using other reagents.
[.]
: CH
3CO
2H + Br
2 → CH
2BrCO
2H + HBr
See also
*
Acetic acid
*
Chloroacetic acid
Chloroacetic acid, industrially known as monochloroacetic acid (MCA), is the organochlorine compound with the formula ClCH2CO2H. This carboxylic acid is a useful building block in organic synthesis. It is a colorless solid. Related compounds a ...
*
Ethyl bromoacetate
References
External links
The microwave spectrum of bromoacetic acid
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bromoacetic Acid
Alkylating agents
Acetic acids
Organobromides