Where Is Thionyl Chloride Used?

Thionyl chloride is mainly used in the industrial production of organochlorine compounds, which are often intermediates in pharmaceuticals and agrichemicals.

What is thionyl chloride used for?

Thionyl Chloride is a colorless to pale yellow or red liquid with a pungent odor. It is used as a chlorinating agent in the manufacture of organic compounds, as a solvent in Lithium batteries, and in making pesticides.

What happens when primary alcohol is treated with thionyl chloride?

Alcohols: Reactions and Synthesis

First, a nucleophilic oxygen atom of the alcohol displaces a chloride ion from thionyl chloride to form a protonated alkyl chlorosulfite intermediate. ... In dioxane as solvent, the substitution reaction occurs with retention of configuration.