Prohibit methyl bromide disolving into water?

Question

Methyl bromide, an ozone depleting material, disolve in water in about 18.5 g/l. Is there any substance which I can add into the water to prevent the methyl bromide gas from disolving into water, or reducing the amount?

Answer 1

not sure about making it less soluble but methyl bromide is very reactive to nucleophiles- molecules which have electron rich reactive centres (this also makes it carcinogenic since your DNA contains nucleophillic parts).

In water MeBr with react slowly with H2O since water can act as a nuceophile too, but you can speed up the process by making the water basic (alkali) as this will increase the concentration of HO- ions which will react with MeBr nicely.

KOH (potassium hydroxide) would work and you would get methanol and pottastium as your products.

hope this helps

Answer 2

Acetone.