A new reagent, tridecylmethylphosphonium tribromide, and new procedures for bromination reactions of unsaturated substrates (including one that allows several substrates to be reacted in sequence) are described. The procedures exploit the diffusion of components and the densities and immiscibilities of layers, including a fluorous "spacer" layer, within a reaction vessel. The stereoselectivities achieved in the reactions are superior in some cases to those found with other brominating reagents.