Chloral
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| Chloral | |
|---|---|
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| IUPAC name | Trichloroethanal |
| Identifiers | |
| CAS number | [75-87-6] |
| SMILES | ClC(Cl)(Cl)C=O |
| Properties | |
| Molecular formula | CCl3CH=O |
| Molar mass | 147.387 g/mol |
| Density | 1.512 g/cm3 @ 20 °C |
| Melting point |
−57.5 °C |
| Boiling point |
97.8 °C |
| Solubility in water | forms soluble hydrate |
| Solubility in ethanol | miscible |
| Solubility in diethyl ether | miscible |
| Solubility in chloroform | soluble |
| Except where noted otherwise, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C, 100 kPa) Infobox disclaimer and references |
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Chloral, also known as trichloroacetaldehyde or trichloroethanal is an organic halide discovered in 1832 by Justus von Liebig. In its pure form, it is a colourless oily liquid soluble in alcohol and ether. In water it reacts to form chloral hydrate, a sedative/hypnotic substance notorious for its use in "knockout drops" such as the Mickey Finn.
Chloral is produced by chlorination of ethanol:
- 4 Cl2 + C2H5OH → Cl3CCHO + 5 HCl
or if water ethanol mixtures are used the hydrate is formed first and de hydrated with sulfuric acid:
- 4 Cl2 + C2H5OH + H2O → Cl3CCH(OH)2 + 5 HCl
- 1 Cl3CCH(OH)2 → Cl3CCHO + H2O
Chloral reacts with chlorobenzene to form DDT (with sulfuric acid as a catalyst). This was the reaction which was discovered by Othmar Zeidler in 1874 and used to produce DDT in industry.[1]
[edit] References
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This article does not cite any references or sources. (September 2007) Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed. |
- ^ Othmar Zeidler (1874). "Verbindungen von Chloral mit Brom- und Chlorbenzol". Berichte der deutschen chemischen Gesellschaft 7 (2): 1180–1181. doi:.
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