Highly efficient and selective electrophilic and free radical catalytic bromination reactions of simple aromatic compounds in the presence of reusable zeolites

Reactions of mono-substituted aromatics of moderate activity with bromine in the presence of stoichiometric amounts of zeolite NaY proceed in high yield and with high selectivity to the corresponding para-bromo products. The zeolites can easily be regenerated by heating and reused. Similar para-selectivity can be achieved in the case of toluene by use of tert-butyl hypobromite as reagent, zeolite HX as catalyst, and a solvent comprising a mixture of tetrachloromethane and diethyl ether. Radical bromination of ethyl 4-methylbenzoate using bromine in the presence of light is catalysed by various zeolites and affords a high yield of ethyl 4-(bromomethyl)benzoate but with no great improvement in selectivity for monobromination