A disclaimer first: Antoncho knows that SWIA is insane, don’t bother to tell him that
Now, here’s SWIA’s plan:
1st – chill some HCOOH , H2SO4 and bromine in a freezer (well, Br2 would freeze, so…)
2nd – add 3-4 drops of H2SO4 to the HCOOH (supposedly generating some CO in situ)
3rd – add several drops of Br2 and allow to decolorize.
4th – repeat steps 2 & 3 several times.
5th – xtract the mixtr w/DCM or CCl4 and use the (supposedly) COBr2 soln as is for forming Vilsmeier complex w/DMF
The residual formic acid hopefully won’t interfere w/the rxn (??) as well as bromomethyleniminium salt should precipitate and can bee washed w/ some DCM to purify, no?
And here come the questions – at least twenty of them, I think…
1) what are the ordinary conditions of making CO from HCOOH? Namely, how much H2SO4 is required for HCOOH to start giving off CO, or does it happen immediately on their contact? At lower temps.?
2) Does Br2 react w/HCOOH? If so, what happens? Maybee better 1st add bromine, not sulfuric? Can smth like this occur: HCOOH + Br2 à 2 HBr + CO2 ??
3) What side rxns can occur, you think? I mean, what else (possibly hazardous) can happen to a mixtr of HCOOH, H2SO4 & Br2? (gawd, just to pronounce these three words in one sentence makes SWIA shiver)
Oh my dear comrade bees, please do not let SWIA, this mentally unstable, yet charming in his naiveness fellow, end his life as a result of some stupid mistake
He just built from scratch a fume cupboard, which turned out to bee pretty effective. He thinks he can try to pull this rxn without taking too much chances – but he’s never seen a prep’n of this disgusting comp’d, COBr2, even can’t find its bp on ChemFinder – it does exist though, & it should bee a liquid at RT, which is also nice.
His chemical intuition tells him it’s possible this way, but his chem. intuition usually misinforms him
Help.
Antoncho