Methylene bromide (CAS NO.: ), which is also known as dibromomethane, could be produced through the following synthetic routes.

In a 2-l. round-bottomed flask placed on a steam bath and fitted with a stirrer, a separatory funnel, and a reflux condenser is placed 540 g. (1.9 moles) of commercial (88 per cent) bromoform. There is then added 10 cc. of a solution of sodium arsenite made by dissolving 230 g. (1.16 moles) of c. p. arsenious oxide and 440 g. (11 moles) of sodium hydroxide in 1.4 l. of water. The mixture is warmed gently to start the reaction, and then the remainder of the sodium arsenite solution is added during about one hour at such a rate that the solution refluxes gently. When the addition is complete, the flask is heated for four hours on the steam bath. The reaction mixture is distilled with steam, the lower layer of methylene bromide separated, and the water layer extracted once with 100 cc. of ether. The methylene bromide is dried with 10 g. of calcium chloride and distilled. The yield of slightly yellow liquid boiling at 97–100° is 290–300 g. (88–90 per cent of the theoretical amount).