Monograph

pubs.acs.org/doi/book/10.1021/acsreagents

Tetramethylammonium Bromide
(TMAB)
Part 4, Monographs for Reagent Chemicals: General Descriptions, Specifications, and Tests
eISBN: 9780841230460
Tom Tyner Chair, ACS Committee on Analytical Reagents
James Francis Secretary, ACS Committee on Analytical Reagents

ABSTRACT
This monograph for Tetramethylammonium Bromide provides, in addition to common physical constants, a general
description including typical appearance, applications, and aqueous solubility. The monograph also details the
following specifications and corresponding tests for verifying that a substance meets ACS Reagent Grade specifications
including: Assay, Trimethylamine, Trimethylamine Hydrobromide, and Polarographic Test.

(CH3)4NBr Formula Wt 154.05 CAS No. 64-20-0

GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Typical appearance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . white solid
Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ion pair reagent
Aqueous solubility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . soluble

SPECIFICATIONS
General Use
Assay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ≥98.0% as (CH3)4NBr
Maximum Allowable
Trimethylamine (Me3N) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.5%
Trimethylamine hydrobromide (Me3N · HBr). . . 0.5%

Specific Use
Polarographic test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Passes test

DOI:10.1021/acsreagents.4397
© 2017 American Chemical Society A ACS Reagent Chemicals, Part 4
ACS Reagent Chemicals Monograph

pubs.acs.org/doi/book/10.1021/acsreagents

TESTS
Assay
(By argentimetric titration of bromide content). Weigh accurately about 0.5 g, and dissolve in a 250 mL conical flask with 50
mL of water. Add 0.05 g of sodium bicarbonate and 0.2 mL of eosin Y reagent solution. Titrate with 0.1 N silver nitrate
volumetric solution to the first color change. One milliliter of 0.1 N silver nitrate corresponds to 0.01540 g of
tetramethylammonium bromide.

Trimethylamine and Trimethylamine Hydrobromide

(By potentiometric titration, [Part 2: Titrimetric Methods; Potentiometric Titrations]).

S a m p l e Pr e p a r a t i o n . Accurately weigh and dissolve about 20 g of sample in 90 mL of isopropyl alcohol in a 400 mL beaker.

Measure the pH of the sample solution on a standardized pH meter. If the pH is less than 5, then no trimethylamine is
present. Potentiometrically titrate with 1 N sodium hydroxide volumetric solution to determine the trimethylamine
hydrobromide content. The first inflection point, A mL, will be approximately pH 5. A second inflection point, B mL, will
occur at approximately pH 10.5.

If the pH is greater than 5, then potentiometrically titrate with 1 N hydrochloric acid volumetric solution to determine the
trimethylamine content. The inflection point, C mL, will be approximately pH 5. In the calculations, D mL is the total
milliliters of 1 N hydrochloric acid added. Titrate the same sample with 1 N sodium hydroxide volumetric solution to an
inflection point at approximately pH 10.5 at E mL.

Polarographic Test
[Part 2: Direct Electrometric Methods; Polarographic Analysis].
Cathode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dropping Hg electrode
Anode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pt wire
Reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Similar saturated calomel electrode: make up with 1.0 M tetrabutylammo-
nium chloride

Prepare a 1.0 M solution (15.4 g in 100 mL of water), and add 0.2 mL of 1.0 M tetrabutylammonium hydroxide. Deoxygenate
with nitrogen until minimum background current is achieved (approximately 5 min). By using a drop time of 1 s, scan at 0.01
V/s from –1.2 to –2.6 V vs SCE with a sensitivity of 0.5 µA full scale with modulation amplitude of 50 mV. The material is
acceptable if no impurity current greater than 0.05 µA is observed.

DOI:10.1021/acsreagents.4397
© 2017 American Chemical Society B ACS Reagent Chemicals, Part 4