Bromide–chloride exchange between alkyl halides and metal halide salts under phase transfer conditions

Abstract

The equilibrium position of the phase transfer catalysed exchange reaction RCl + MBr ⇌ RBr + MCl where R = primary alkyl group and M = Li, Na, K, Ca is strongly dependent on the nature of the metal cation M and the amount of water present in the reaction mixture; this has been applied in the synthetic use of the reaction in both directions.