Ethyl chloride (EtCl, Chloroethane), is a chemical compound with chemical formula CH3CH2Cl, once widely used in producing tetraethyllead, a gasoline additive. It is a colorless, flammable gas or refrigerated
liquid with a faintly
sweet odor. Ethyl chloride is a lab solvent and an intermediate in the synthesis of 2-methyl-2-butanol through the formation of the grignard reagent, ethyl magnesium chloride and a grignard reaction with acetone, followed by hydrochloric
acid work-up to yield 2-methyl-2-butanol. Ethyl chloride is synthesized by reacting ethanol with hydrochloric
acid and zinc chloride catalyst. Ethyl chloride can also be used along with calcium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide, or potassium hydroxide to extract freebase arecoline out of the betel nut. Then react it with HBr (Hydrogen Bromide) to get Arecoline Hydrobromide.
Properties
Chemical formula
C2H5Cl
Molar mass
64.51
g/mol
Appearance
Colorless gas
Odor
Pungent, ethereal
Density
0.921 g/cm3 (0-4 °C)
0.8898 g/cm3 (25 °C)
Melting
point
−
138.7 °C (−217.7 °F; 134.5 K)
Boiling point
12.
27 °C (54.09 °F; 285.42 K)
decomposes at 510 °C
Solubility in
water
0.447 g/100 mL (0 °C)
0.574 g/100 mL (20 °C)
Solubility
Soluble in ethanol, diethyl ether, dibutyl ether, 2-methyl-2-butanol
Solubility in ethanol
48.
3 g/100 g (21 °C)
Vapor pressure
8.4 kPa (-40 °C)
62.
3 kPa (0 °C)
134.6 kPa (20 °C)
I reacted ethanol with hydrochloric
acid and a zinc chloride catalyst. I got ethyl chloride. I then extracted freebase arecoline from the betel nut and reacted it with hydrogen bromide gas to
get Arecoline Hydrobromide.
I took some ethyl chloride and added anhydrous diethyl ether and magnesium turnings to
get ethyl magnesium chloride. Then I reacted the Et-MgCl (ethyl magnesium chloride) with acetone. Then I took the 2m2bO-MgCl (
2-methyl-2-butoxymagnesium chloride) and reacted it with hydrochloric
acid to get 2-methyl-2-butanol.
