Tert-Butyl Bromide, sometimes called 2-Bromo-2-methylpropane, serves a crucial role as an organic bromide in multiple chemical industries. This compound, with the molecular formula C4H9Br and a molar mass of 137.02 g/mol, centers its chemistry in the tert-butyl group linked to a bromine atom. The structure features a central carbon atom attached to three methyl groups, with a single bromine taking the place of a usual hydrogen. Its CAS number is 507-20-0, making it easily searchable in regulatory and safety contexts. Tert-Butyl Bromide’s HS Code, often used for import and export classification, falls under 2903.30, which covers halogenated derivatives of hydrocarbons.
Looking at its physical form, Tert-Butyl Bromide usually appears as colorless to pale yellow crystals or as a solid at room temperature. With a melting point sitting close to 50°C (122°F) and a boiling point that comes in around 71°C (160°F), it stays solid or crystalline unless moderately heated. The density measures about 1.235 g/cm³, which feels a touch heavier than water. Under the right conditions and depending on storage, it can also present as a powder, flakes, or small pearls—various material states that suit differing processes in the lab or factory floor. Tert-Butyl Bromide is known for a sharp, sweet odor, one that gives away its strong chemical presence.
Reactions involving Tert-Butyl Bromide are always direct. This compound reacts vigorously with nucleophiles due to the presence of the bromine atom bonded to a tertiary carbon. The SN1 reaction mechanism dominates here, because the bulky tert-butyl group helps stabilize the carbocation intermediate after bromide leaves. This makes the compound a favorite in laboratories for demonstrating principles of organic reactivity, especially in educational settings. On the industrial front, companies use Tert-Butyl Bromide to introduce tert-butyl groups into larger molecules, serving as a raw material for synthesis of pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, and fine chemicals. In my own academic experience, Tert-Butyl Bromide transformed the way new chemists learn about the differences between primary and tertiary reactions, especially because it reveals how fast and efficiently molecular change can take place given the right starting structure.
Tert-Butyl Bromide comes in a variety of purities, with the highest grades reaching 99% and above for laboratory analysis and pharmaceutical intermediates. Standard packaging delivers the product as solid, flakes, powder, or crystalline pearls. Some users or factories dissolve it in organic solvents, usually non-polar ones, to make a working solution that fits direct synthesis steps. Its solubility in water stays very low, making spills easy to clean with non-polar absorbers, but calling for careful preparation when blending or pouring to avoid unnecessary exposure.
Anyone handling Tert-Butyl Bromide quickly learns about its hazardous side. The substance acts as both lachrymator and irritant, with direct contact causing redness, burning, or pain at the site of exposure. Breathing vapors or dust can lead to coughing or respiratory discomfort. Safety Data Sheets warn against chronic exposure, and I’ve always worked with poly gloves and in a fume hood, especially after learning firsthand how quickly that sweet odor becomes overwhelming. It is both flammable and releases toxic fumes if burned. With regulations tight on chemical storage, safety labeling usually involves pictograms for both acute toxicity and health hazards. Safe handling means keeping containers closed, labels legible, and storage away from incompatible chemicals—especially strong oxidizers or reducing agents.
Industries value Tert-Butyl Bromide for its role as a building block. In pharmaceuticals, the tert-butyl group it introduces can protect alcohols as t-butyl ethers. Agrochemical producers rely on its alkylation properties to structure pesticides and herbicides that last longer and perform more predictably. Research institutions often use it as a model for understanding reaction kinetics, since its SN1 reactions finish faster than most students—myself included—can run a stopwatch. Its placement in the supply chain as a raw material means price fluctuations ripple out to many downstream technologies, affecting availability and cost of end products.
To keep accidents down and meet increasing compliance demands, companies now invest in better containment, real-time gas monitoring, and staff training. Offering Tert-Butyl Bromide in smaller, pre-measured containers or as a stabilized solution cuts down the hazard at the point of use. For those running scale-up labs or continuous process systems, automated dosing keeps direct handling to a minimum. Waste management includes neutralization and recovery of bromide salts, so that disposal aligns with stricter environmental codes. These steps not only reduce individual health concerns but reassure communities that modern chemistry keeps human and environmental safety a top priority.
Looking at each specification—purity, density, melting and boiling points, crystalline structure—brings it all down to reliable, testable facts. Precise analytical techniques, from GC-MS to melting point analysis, build trust between buyer and supplier. For entrepreneurs and researchers alike, confidence in what sits inside the bottle leads to bigger, bolder experiments. At every point, facts matter: density at 20°C, safe storage requirements, a melting point that matches data sheets. Each aspect feeds back into product quality and process reliability. The future for Tert-Butyl Bromide and compounds like it will only grow safer and more consistent as the industry continues to push for stricter standards and better transparency.
