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Bromination of benzene template
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FeBr₃ activates bromine; benzene attacks, then FeBr₄⁻ removes H⁺ to give bromobenzene and regenerate FeBr₃.
Mechanism step by step
A Lewis acid polarises Br₂ so the aromatic ring can attack it
- Activation – Br₂ donates a lone pair to FeBr₃
- Attack – The ring attacks the outer bromine
- Deprotonation – Br⁻ (from FeBr₄⁻) takes H⁺; FeBr₃ is regenerated
Key points
- Benzene does not decolourise bromine water: a Lewis acid catalyst (FeBr₃ or AlBr₃) is needed.
- Substitution, not addition, keeps the aromatic ring.
- Iron filings work too: Fe + Br₂ makes FeBr₃ in the flask.
- Chlorination works the same way with Cl₂ and FeCl₃ or AlCl₃.
Drawn with 69 atoms, 9 arrows, 5 shapes – every one editable in MolDraw.
Sources
How to use this template
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Frequently asked questions
Is the Bromination of benzene template free?
You can preview the Bromination of benzene template here and open and edit it in MolDraw for free. Downloading or exporting it is part of MolDraw Pro, together with the other premium templates.
Can I edit the Bromination of benzene template?
Yes. It opens as an ordinary MolDraw drawing, so every structure, arrow, label and colour can be changed, and you can add your own content around it.
Is the chemistry checked?
Every structure is checked with RDKit and every curly arrow passes MolDraw’s electron-flow audit. The sources used are listed on this page.
What is a curly-arrow mechanism template?
A ready-made drawing of a reaction mechanism in which curved arrows show where electron pairs move in each step. You can open it in MolDraw, change the substrate and reuse it.