In contrast to phosgene, carbonyl bromide cannot be produced efficiently by halogenation of carbon monoxide. The bromination of carbon monoxide follows this equation:
CO + Br2 ⇌ COBr2
But the process is slow at room temperature. Increasing temperature, in order to increase the reaction rate, results in a further shift of the chemical equilibrium towards the educts (since ΔRH < 0 and ΔRS < 0).[3][4][clarification needed]
Carbonyl bromide slowly decomposes to carbon monoxide and elemental bromine even at low temperatures.[5] It is also sensitive to hydrolysis, breaking down into hydrogen bromide and carbon dioxide.
References
^
Lide, David R. (1998), Handbook of Chemistry and Physics (87 ed.), Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, pp. 3–96, 4–50, 5–26, ISBN0-8493-0594-2
^Parkington, Michael J.; Ryan, T. Anthony; Seddon, Kenneth R. (1997). "Carbonyl dibromide: A novel reagent for the synthesis of metal bromides and bromide oxides". Journal of the Chemical Society, Dalton Transactions (2): 257–262. doi:10.1039/A603977D.