Organobromine chemistry is the study of the synthesis and properties of organobromine compounds, also called organobromides,[1] which are organic compounds that contain carbon bonded to bromine. The most pervasive is the naturally produced bromomethane.
One prominent application of synthetic organobromine compounds is the use of polybrominated diphenyl ethers as fire-retardants, and in fact fire-retardant manufacture is currently the major industrial use of the element bromine.
A variety of minor organobromine compounds are found in nature, but none are biosynthesized or required by mammals. Organobromine compounds have fallen under increased scrutiny for their environmental impact.
Because [bromine is] found in seawater, marine animals developed techniques for converting it to other forms; for example, organobromides (compounds with carbon and bromine) are made by sponges, corals, seaweed, and even some mammals.