CAS Number: 7719-09-7
Linear Formula: SOCl2
Molecular Weight: 118.97
IUPAC Name: Sulfurous dichloride
Other Names: Thionyl dichloride, Sulfurous oxychloride, Sulfinyl chloride, sulfinyl dichloride, Dichlorosulfoxide, Sulfur oxide dichloride, Sulfur monoxide dichloride, Sulfuryl(IV) chloride
Thionyl chloride is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula SOCl2. It is a moderately volatile colourless liquid with an unpleasant acrid odour.
Thionyl chloride is primarily used as a chlorinating reagent. Thionyl chloride is mainly used in the industrial production of organochlorine compounds, which are often intermediates in pharmaceuticals and agrichemicals.
It usually is preferred over other reagents, such as phosphorus pentachloride, as its by-products (HCl and SO2) are gaseous, which simplifies purification of the product. Many of the products of thionyl chloride are themselves highly reactive and as such it is involved in a wide range of reactions.
