Hydrogen peroxide reaction with hydrobromic acid

In the petroleum (qv) industry hydrogen bromide can serve as an alkylation catalyst. It is claimed as a catalyst in the controlled oxidation of aHphatic and ahcycHc hydrocarbons to ketones, acids, and peroxides (7,8). AppHcations of HBr with NH Br (9) or with H2S and HCl (10) as promoters for the dehydrogenation of butene to butadiene have been described, and either HBr or HCl can be used in the vapor-phase ortho methylation of phenol with methanol over alumina (11). Various patents dealing with catalytic activity of HCl also cover the use of HBr. An important reaction of HBr in organic syntheses is the replacement of aHphatic chlorine by bromine in the presence of an aluminum catalyst (12). Small quantities of hydrobromic acid are employed in analytical chemistry. 

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