2-Hydro-5-Bromothiophene, also called 2-Bromo-5-Hydrothiophene, belongs to the thiophene derivatives family and feels a bit like an overlooked cousin in the organic chemistry world. The structure puts a bromine atom at the 5-position and a hydroxy group on the 2-position of the thiophene ring. Its formula, C4H3BrOS, reflects a simple, compact molecule. People sometimes ask what this means on a practical level. In a lab, it looks more like an off-white to pale tan solid—sometimes powder, sometimes flakes, rarely seen as pearls—than a liquid or solution. The density sits around 1.7 g/cm3, which puts it right in the range you might expect for a brominated aromatic with sulfur in the mix. The compound’s molecular weight clocks in at about 194.04 g/mol, so it has that unmistakable heft you'd get from introducing halogens into the blend.
Looking at 2-Hydro-5-Bromothiophene in the lab or production line, its physical and chemical characteristics punch above their weight in many syntheses. These characteristics come from the way sulfur and bromine share the aromatic ring, letting this molecule play both nucleophile and electrophile. The five-membered ring feels surprisingly stable for something that looks reactive on paper. Bromine likes to stick near electron-rich zones, so substitution or further functionalization feels easier than on a plain benzene ring. That gives this compound a strong foothold as an intermediate. As for safety and hazardous properties, the compound falls in with general bromo-aromatics: it carries a risk of skin and eye irritation and shouldn’t be inhaled. The HS code usually tracks as 2934999090, grouping it with other heterocyclic compounds containing only oxygen, sulfur, or nitrogen hetero-atoms. The risk or safety side matters in real handling, since laboratory or factory workers need gloves, proper ventilation, and eye protection. No one wants a careless spill or poorly ventilated room to leave folks coughing or worse.
Step into any synthetic organic chemistry lab, and you’ll spot how vital 2-Hydro-5-Bromothiophene is as a building block. This compound works in materials science, pharmaceuticals, and advanced coatings. You can sense its value, not because major names show up on marketing sheets but because its structure unlocks new pathways for cross-coupling reactions, especially Suzuki-Miyaura and Stille reactions. If someone wants to turn a basic heterocycle into a rich, functionalized molecule, having a ready supply of 2-Hydro-5-Bromothiophene makes a real difference. In this way, it acts as a raw material that rarely gets headline credit but sits behind important advances in OLEDs, anti-cancer compounds, and high-performance polymers.
Solubility tells its own story here. This thiophene rarely dissolves well in water—think nearly insoluble—but it blends in a range of organic solvents. The ability to toss this powder into ether, chloroform, or dichloromethane with few problems sets the stage for its reactivity, and chemists appreciate how easy it is to work up or purify after a reaction run. Because it rarely forms a liquid phase at room temperature, solid handling dominates the storage and packaging processes, generally in lined drums or high-density polyethylene bottles that avoid accidental hydrolysis or light damage. Crystallinity varies depending on purity and production method, but well-made material often comes out as discernible crystals or dry powder that flows freely rather than clumping.
Dealing with any organobromine compound demands respect. 2-Hydro-5-Bromothiophene throws up warning signs on its MSDS: respiratory irritation, skin problems, eye risk, and issues with improper disposal clog up the paperwork. If a bottle breaks in the lab or a truck leaks in transit, the consequences touch both people and local environments. This thiophene variant may not have the persistent toxicity profile of heavier halogenated aromatics, but careful containment and waste management feel like non-negotiables. Hazardous waste bins, solvent waste tanks, and controlled incineration usually form the backbone of any company policy. Chronic exposure at industrial sites or poor air recirculation could spark more severe health problems, so personal protective equipment acts as the main line of defense. These rules don’t arise out of paranoia—enough case reports have documented reactions, from moderate dermatitis to more serious systemic effects.
Navigation through the complex world of chemical raw materials gets tricky. Sourcing 2-Hydro-5-Bromothiophene at high purity can occasionally slow down R&D projects. As a chemist, I've seen setbacks caused by a batch inconsistency—a little color, a shift in melting point, a new crystalline habit, any one of these can derail downstream chemistry and cost days or weeks of troubleshooting. Building tighter relationships with suppliers, demanding documentation like certificates of analysis, and performing in-house purity checks go a long way toward preventing trouble. Streamlined waste management systems help scale up safely, especially in older facilities where new waste needs threaten to overwhelm legacy processes.
Regulations keep getting tighter, so companies need to track inventory, lock down best practices for ventilation and PPE, and train staff on handling not just the big-ticket hazards but also less dramatic risks like chronic exposure over time. Making sure the safety data sheets stay current, double-checking hazard pictograms, and promoting clear communication between operators and supervisors improves compliance and cuts down on near-misses. There’s no universal fix, but trial-and-error alongside knowledge sharing from experienced hands continues to build a safer, more reliable infrastructure around this and other intermediates.
