BCDMH
Overview
 
1-Bromo-3-chloro-5,5-dimethylhydantoin (BCDMH) is a chemical structurally related to hydantoin
Hydantoin
Hydantoin, which is also known as glycolylurea, is a heterocyclic organic compound that can be thought of as a cyclic "double-condensation reaction" product of glycolic acid and urea...

. It is a white crystalline compound with a slight bromine
Bromine
Bromine ") is a chemical element with the symbol Br, an atomic number of 35, and an atomic mass of 79.904. It is in the halogen element group. The element was isolated independently by two chemists, Carl Jacob Löwig and Antoine Jerome Balard, in 1825–1826...

 and acetone
Acetone
Acetone is the organic compound with the formula 2CO, a colorless, mobile, flammable liquid, the simplest example of the ketones.Acetone is miscible with water and serves as an important solvent in its own right, typically as the solvent of choice for cleaning purposes in the laboratory...

 odor and is insoluble in water, but soluble in acetone
Acetone
Acetone is the organic compound with the formula 2CO, a colorless, mobile, flammable liquid, the simplest example of the ketones.Acetone is miscible with water and serves as an important solvent in its own right, typically as the solvent of choice for cleaning purposes in the laboratory...

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BCDMH is an excellent source of both chlorine and bromine as it reacts slowly with water releasing hypochlorous acid
Hypochlorous acid
Hypochlorous acid is a weak acid with the chemical formula HClO. It forms when chlorine dissolves in water. It cannot be isolated in pure form due to rapid equilibration with its precursor...

 and hypobromous acid
Hypobromous acid
Hypobromous acid is a weak, unstable acid with chemical formula HBrO. It is also called bromic acid, bromanol or hydroxidobromine. It occurs only in solution and has chemical and physical properties that are very similar to those of hypochlorous acid.In aqueous solution, hypobromous acid partially...

. It used as a chemical disinfectant used for recreational water and drinking water purification
Water purification
Water purification is the process of removing undesirable chemicals, materials, and biological contaminants from contaminated water. The goal is to produce water fit for a specific purpose...

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