Patent ID: 7601774

Claim:
A one-pot process for the preparation of pentabromobenzyl bromide (PBB-Br), said process comprising the steps of: i) perbromination of toluene in a reaction mixture comprising dihalomethanes as solvent and AlCl 3 as catalyst: ii) deactivation of said catalyst by addition of water; and iii) benzylic bromination carried out in an organic solvent comprising dihalomethanes or a mixture of dihalomethanes, in the presence of water, and using 2,2′-azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) as an initiator, at a reaction temperature between about 45° C. and about 80° C.; wherein said PBB-Br has a purity greater than 99.5% as defined by Gas Chromatography Analysis of PBB-Br, pentabromotoluene (5-BT) and residual solvents.