Manufacturing of stabilized propargyl bromide

1. A method for preparing a stable propargyl bromide (PB) composition, comprising

i) combining propargyl alcohol (PA), an amine additive, and an alkylhalogenide (AH) source selected from halogenated paraffins and aliphatic alcohols, whereby obtaining a liquid mixture;

ii) adding phosphorus tribromide (PBr3) to the mixture of step i) whereby obtaining a reaction mixture;

iii) stirring said reaction mixture of step ii) and allowing said PBr3 to react at least with said PA, whereby obtaining a mixture containing raw PB and AH; and

iv) washing the mixture of step iii) and distilling it at lowered pressure, wherein the steps of washing and distilling may be performed in any order, wherein said washing comprises separating organic phase and discarding water phase;

thereby obtaining a stable composition containing propargyl bromide and alkylhalogenide.

2. A method according to claim 1 , comprising

i) combining PA, an amine additive, and alkylhalogenide solvent having a boiling point between 55 and 110° C., whereby obtaining a liquid mixture;

ii) adding PBr3 to the mixture of step i) whereby obtaining a reaction mixture;

iii) stirring said reaction mixture of step ii) and allowing said PBr3 to react with said PA, whereby obtaining a mixture containing raw propargyl bromide and AH; and

iv) washing and distilling said mixture in any order;

thereby obtaining a stable composition containing propargyl bromide and alkylhalogenide.

3. A method according to claim 1 , comprising

i) combining PA, an amine additive, and an aliphatic alcohol having between 3 and 5 carbon atoms, whereby obtaining a liquid mixture;

ii) adding PBr3 to said mixture of step i) whereby obtaining a reaction mixture;

iii) stirring said reaction mixture and allowing said PBr3 to react with said PA to provide PB, and with said aliphatic alcohol to provide alkyl bromide (AB), wherein said AB has a boiling point between 55 and 110° C.; and

iv) washing and distilling said mixture in any order;

thereby obtaining a stable composition containing propargyl bromide and alkyl bromide.

4. A method according to claim 1 , comprising

i) combining propargyl alcohol (PA), an amine additive, and an alkylhalogenide selected from chlorinated and/or brominated alkanes having a boiling point between 55 and 110° C., whereby obtaining a liquid mixture;

ii) adding PBr3 to the mixture of step i) whereby obtaining a reaction mixture;

iii) stirring said reaction mixture of step ii) for between 1 and 5 hours and allowing said PBr3 to react with said PA to provide PB, whereby obtaining a raw mixture containing PB and AH;

iv) washing said raw mixture of step iii) with water; and

v) distilling said raw mixture at lowered pressure at a temperature of between 30 and 60° C., wherein said step of washing and said step of distilling may be performed in any order;

thereby obtaining a stable composition containing propargyl bromide and alkyl halogenide.

5. A method according to claim 1 , comprising

i) combining PA, an amine additive, and an alkylbromide (AB) solvent having a boiling point between 55 and 110° C., at a temperature between 0 and 40° C., whereby obtaining a liquid mixture;

ii) adding PBr3 to the mixture of step i) whereby obtaining a reaction mixture;

iii) stirring said reaction mixture of step ii) at a temperature between 25 and 50° C. and allowing said PBr3 to react with said PA whereby obtaining a raw mixture containing PB and AB;

iv) washing said raw mixture of step iii) with water; and

v) distilling said raw mixture at lowered pressure at a temperature of 30-60° C., wherein said step washing and said distilling may be performed in any order;

thereby obtaining a stable composition containing propargyl bromide and alkyl bromide.

6. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said AH source is selected from halogenated paraffins having from 1 to 5 carbon atoms in the molecule and aliphatic alcohols having from 3 to 5 carbon atoms in the molecule.

7. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said amine additive is a tertiary amine.

8. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said stable composition comprises from 30 to 80 wt % propargylbromide, and from 17 to 67 wt % alkylhalogenide.

9. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said stable composition comprises from 30 to 80 wt % propargylbromide, and from 19 to 69 wt % alkylhalogenide.

10. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said stable composition comprises propargylbromide and alkylhalogenide in a total amount of at least 90 wt %.

11. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said stable composition comprises propargylbromide and alkylbromide in a total amount of at least 99 wt %.

12. A method according to claim 2 , wherein said step i) comprises cooling the mixture to a temperature below 5° C., wherein said step ii) comprises adding dropwise PBr3 under stirring while keeping the temperature between 5 and 40° C., and wherein said step iii) comprises heating to a temperature of between 45 and 55° C., and stirring at this temperature for a time period of between 2 and 4 hours.

13. A method according to claim 2 , wherein said step iv) comprises adding water to the reaction mixture and cooling to ambient temperature.

14. A method according to claim 2 , wherein said step iv) comprises two washing steps.

15. A method according to claim 2 , wherein said step of distilling comprises a vacuum of between 100 and 250 mm Hg and a temperature of between 30 and 60° C.

16. A method according to claim 1 , wherein alkylhalogenide is selected from propylbromides, butylbromides, and pentylbromides.

17. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said amine additive is triethylamine or pyridine.

18. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the yield of the reaction based on PA is at least 80%.