1-Bromo-3-Methylbutane: Properties, Structure, and Practical Details

What is 1-Bromo-3-Methylbutane?

1-Bromo-3-methylbutane is a colorless liquid that shows up in laboratories as a raw material and chemical intermediate. Chemists recognize its structure through a chain of five carbons, one of them branching at the third position, with a bromine atom attached to the first carbon. The molecular formula is C₅H₁₁Br, which places it squarely in the family of alkyl bromides. On the shelf, it often sits in brown glass bottles to protect the compound from breaking down in sunlight, and the smell reminds many of other simple bromoalkanes—sharp, slightly sweet, hard to ignore. In practice, this material flows easily at room temperature, with a density just over 1.2 grams per milliliter, so it sinks in water. Its boiling point hovers around 90 to 92°C, which gives it enough volatility to notice evaporation after the cap comes off. Because it's neither a powder, a solid, a crystal, nor flakes, handling calls for care in a well-ventilated area.

Physical and Chemical Properties

This chemical’s structure features a bromine atom, and this gives it firepower for nucleophilic substitution reactions, which means it plays a central role as a building block in organic synthesis. The molecule stays stable in dry storage, yet water, bases, or prolonged light can break it down, forming corrosive hydrobromic acid or other byproducts. Its molecular weight hits 151.05 g/mol. Many users care about miscibility; here, 1-Bromo-3-methylbutane does not blend with water. Instead, it prefers organic solvents like ether or chloroform, making it fit for non-aqueous reactions. The refractive index at 20°C falls between 1.436 and 1.438, and this figure helps chemists check purity through routine lab tests. Visit a catalogue, and the chemical may also appear listed with the HS Code 2903699090, which connects it to customs and trade for bromo-alkanes. This label matters for anyone moving the compound across borders and signals obligations for reporting under international chemical safety agreements.

Specifications and Safety

In the workplace or research lab, safety hinges on understanding how 1-Bromo-3-methylbutane behaves. Vapors irritate the nose, throat, and eyes after only short exposure. Because the liquid doesn’t dissolve in water, spills can spread rapidly across surfaces, raising the risk of skin contact—which itself can lead to redness, tingling, and more severe symptoms if absorbed. The material brings a moderate flammability concern and, when exposed to fire or strong heat sources, it can give off dense, toxic brominated fumes along with carbon monoxide—a one-two punch for firefighters and emergency responders. Health and safety data often describe the flash point around 23°C, putting it in the highly flammable category. In industrial environments, regulations stress good ventilation, chemical goggles, and gloves made of nitrile, plus spill trays and eyewash stations. Waste from this material counts as hazardous, requiring collection and disposal according to environmental rules. For those moving this liquid in bulk, clear labels, compatibility checks for storage drums, and documentation help prevent regulatory and safety missteps.

Material Uses and Handling

Across manufacturing and research, 1-Bromo-3-methylbutane stands out as a raw material for pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, and organic intermediates. Its ability to swap out the bromine for almost any functional group lets chemists build complex molecules from a simple starting point. In an undergraduate lab, the compound might appear in a reaction with sodium cyanide, kicking off the synthesis of branched amines for medicinal or flavoring agents. Larger companies reach for 1-Bromo-3-methylbutane while producing specialty rubbers and advanced polymers, using the bromine to kick-start polymerization reactions. Still, across all these contexts, attention to temperature, purity, and possible cross-contamination matters. Just one leaky seal or warmer-than-expected transit can push impurities into a batch, which means internal quality standards often go above what a certificate of analysis offers. VOC regulations in several countries limit how much of this liquid escapes into the air, driving demand for vapor-tight storage, active ventilation, and periodic leak testing in facilities using large tanks.

Personal Experience: Importance and Solutions

Years of working around specialty chemicals teach a lot about the gap between textbook properties and real-world hazards. That sharp, sweet smell quickly cues anyone with experience to double-check the fume hood or reach for extra gloves. Problems rarely start big—often, a loose bottle cap or unlabeled waste makes for preventable exposure issues. Better labeling, hands-on training for new technicians, and clear emergency instructions have kept accidents low in most labs I’ve managed. Still, once in a while, newcomers think flammable means only open flame, not realizing hot lights or faulty power strips have ignited vapors in more than one story I've heard. Safety data sheets do not always sink in, so refresher training and routine safety drills shape habits better than rules alone. The broader industry faces a challenge getting accurate hazard info to small importers. Improving access to up-to-date chemical safety databases, automating labels at the shipping dock, and linking QR codes on packages to authentic certifications can help close the gap, reducing mistakes before they start. Cooperation between suppliers and customers over purity, packaging, and disposal keeps worker health and community safety front and center.