Reactions of ethyl bromide and aluminium bromide. I. Bromine exchange

The kinetics of the exchange reaction of bromine atoms between ethyl bromide‐ [82Br] and aluminium bromide in carbon disulphide has been studied. The reaction rate is proportional to the ethyl bromide concentration and to the square of the aluminium bromide concentration. The energy of activation amounts to 11.7 kcal/mole (±7%). It is probable that no carbonium ions are involved in the reaction. The rate of the exchange reaction is very low in such solvents as nitrobenzene, nitromethane, ether and acetonitrile. This is ascribed to the formation of rather strong complexes between these solvents and aluminium bromide.