Methyl hypochlorite is the simplest of the organic alkyl
hypochlorites. It is an unstable compound that can be produced by the reaction of
methanol with
hypochlorous acid
Hypochlorous acid (HClO, HOCl, or ClHO) is a weak acid that forms when chlorine dissolves in water, and itself partially dissociates, forming hypochlorite, ClO−. HClO and ClO− are oxidizers, and the primary disinfection agents of chlorine sol ...
. It was first synthesized by
Sandmeyer in the 1880s.
Methyl hypochlorite forms in the Earth's atmosphere by a reaction between
ClO and CH
3OO and is thought to be an important species in
ozone
Ozone (), or trioxygen, is an inorganic molecule with the chemical formula . It is a pale blue gas with a distinctively pungent smell. It is an allotrope of oxygen that is much less stable than the diatomic allotrope , breaking down in the lo ...
destruction over the Arctic and Antarctic regions.
See also
*
tert-Butyl hypochlorite, a useful and relatively stable organic hypochlorite
References
Hypochlorite esters
Methyl esters
Organic compounds with 1 carbon atom
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