Chloromethyl ethyl ether

Chemical Properties

clear colorless to pale yellow liquid

Uses

Chloromethyl ethyl ether can be used to prepare:

• 6-Benzyl-1-(ethoxymethyl)-5-iodopyrimidine-2,4(1H,3H)-dione, a key intermediate in the preparation of MKC-442 analog.
• Acylation catalyst for alcohols named 1,3-bis-[(R)-1-(2-naphthyl)ethyl]imidazoliumchloride by reacting with glyoxal-bis-[(R)-1-(2-naphthyl)ethyl]imine.

General Description

A colorless liquid. Slightly denser than water and insoluble in water. Flash point below 73°F. May be moderately toxic by ingestion, inhalation or skin absorption. Severely irritates skin, eyes and mucous membranes.

Air & Water Reactions

Highly flammable. Insoluble in water.

Reactivity Profile

Chloromethyl ethyl ether tends to form unstable peroxides when exposed to oxygen or air. These products can sometimes be observed as clear crystals deposited on containers or along the surface of the liquid. Forms salts with strong acids and addition complexes with Lewis acids. May react violently with strong oxidizing agents. I

Health Hazard

TOXIC; may be fatal if inhaled, ingested or absorbed through skin. Inhalation or contact with some of these materials will irritate or burn skin and eyes. Fire will produce irritating, corrosive and/or toxic gases. Vapors may cause dizziness or suffocation. Runoff from fire control or dilution water may cause pollution.

Fire Hazard

HIGHLY FLAMMABLE: Will be easily ignited by heat, sparks or flames. Vapors may form explosive mixtures with air. Vapors may travel to source of ignition and flash back. Most vapors are heavier than air. They will spread along ground and collect in low or confined areas (sewers, basements, tanks). Vapor explosion and poison hazard indoors, outdoors or in sewers. Runoff to sewer may create fire or explosion hazard. Containers may explode when heated. Many liquids are lighter than water.

Synthesis

A new process for synthesizing chloromethyl ether, an intermediate of ethopropylamine, said new process for synthesizing includes the following steps:

(1) putting ammonium chloride into an ether distillation kettle containing etherizing base acid, mixing evenly, adding concentrated sulfuric acid dropwise at a uniform rate and stirring, and the ammonium chloride generates hydrogen chloride gas under the action of concentrated sulfuric acid;

(2) passing the hydrogen chloride gas obtained in step (1) to the etherification reactor containing paraformaldehyde and ethanol, keeping the temperature below 70C, and the reaction ends when a large amount of hydrogen chloride gas not participating in the reaction emerges from the etherification reactor.