2-Chloroethanol
chemical compound
2-Chloroethanol (also called ethylene chlorohydrin or glycol chlorohydrin) is an organic chemical compound with the chemical formula ClCH2CH2OH and the simplest beta-halohydrin (chlorohydrin). This colorless liquid has a pleasant ether-like odor. It is miscible with water. The molecule is bifunctional, consisting of both an alkyl chloride and an alcohol functional group.
Synthesis and applications
2-Chloroethanol is produced by treating ethylene with hypochlorous acid:
2-Chloroethanol was once produced on a large scale as a precursor to ethylene oxide:
ClCH2CH2OH + NaOH → C2H4O + NaCl + H2O
This application has been supplanted by the more economic direct oxidation of ethylene. Otherwise chloroethanol is still used in the production of pharmaceuticals, biocides, and plasticizers. Many of these applications entail its use in installing 2-hydroxyethyl groups. Several dyes are prepared by the alkylation of aniline derivatives with chloroethanol. It is also used for manufacture of thiodiglycol.
It is a solvent for cellulose acetate and ethyl cellulose, textile printing dyes, in dewaxing, refining of rosin, extraction of pine lignin, and the cleaning of machines.
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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 Aug 6, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q209354. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference.
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