Chloroacetic acid
chemical compound
Chloroacetic acid, industrially known as monochloroacetic acid (MCA), is a organochlorine compound and carboxylic acid with the formula ClCH2CO2H; it is the simplest of the chloroacetic acids. This colorless solid is a useful building block in organic synthesis.
Production
Chloroacetic acid was first prepared (in impure form) by the French chemist Félix LeBlanc (1813–1886) in 1843 by chlorinating acetic acid in the presence of sunlight, and in 1857 (in pure form) by the German chemist Reinhold Hoffmann (1831–1919) by refluxing glacial acetic acid in the presence of chlorine and sunlight, and then by the French chemist Charles Adolphe Wurtz by hydrolysis of chloroacetyl chloride (ClCH2COCl), also in 1857.
Chloroacetic acid is prepared industrially by two routes. The predominant method involves chlorination of acetic acid, with acetic anhydride as a catalyst:
H3C−COOH + Cl2 → ClH2C−COOH + HCl
This route suffers from the production of dichloroacetic acid and trichloroacetic acid as impurities, which are difficult to separate by distillation:
H3C−COOH + 2 Cl2 → Cl2HC−COOH + 2 HCl
H3C−COOH + 3 Cl2 → Cl3C−COOH + 3 HCl
The second method entails hydrolysis of trichloroethylene:
ClHC=CCl2 + 2 H2O → ClH2C−COOH + 2 HCl
The hydrolysis is conducted at 130–140 °C in a concentrated (at least 75%) solution of sulfuric acid. This method produces a highly pure product, unlike the halogenation route. However, the significant quantities of HCl released have led to the increased popularity of the halogenation route. Approximately 420,000 tonnes are produced globally per year.
Uses and reactions
Most reactions take advantage of the high reactivity of the C−Cl bond.
In its largest-scale application, chloroacetic acid is used to prepare the thickening agent carboxymethyl cellulose and carboxymethyl starch.
The public source identifies “Chloroacetic acid” as chemical compound. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Chloroacetic, acid and chemical.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Chloroacetic acid”, the useful work is to connect “chemical compound” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
The date and method of observation matter as much as the stated conclusion, especially where classification or consensus has changed. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 9, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q409013. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1813, 1886, 1843 and 1857.
Scientific names, classifications and consensus can change while older terminology persists in catalogues and historical literature. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Check terminology, classification and the date of the cited evidence. Scientific names and technical consensus can change while older records retain historical value.
- Current terminology
- Classification context
- Finding cited technical literature
Primary datasets, specimen catalogues, standards bodies and the most recent peer-reviewed literature.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Chloroacetic acid”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Chloroacetic acid primary sources, Chloroacetic acid archive and Chloroacetic research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Chloroacetic acid”?
- Has classification or technical consensus changed since the cited source?
- Which observation, specimen, dataset or publication supports the account?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Chloroacetic acid” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.