1-Chlorododecane

Colorless liquid. Insoluble in water, soluble in benzene, soluble in ethanol.

1-Chlorododecane is used as a reagent in the chemical modification of zein to reduce the brittleness of zein films. It also used as a solvent and in the manufacture of photographic chemicals, pharmaceuticals, organometallic compounds, and surfactants.

Lauroyl chloride is an important organic intermediate and is widely used in the synthesis of surfactants, and it is also used in the synthesis of rubber scorch retardant, medicine and pesticide.

500 ml round-bottomed flask fitted with a double surface condenser and charged with 109.5 ml (or 179 grams) of freshly distilled thionyl chloride, and 46.5 grams of n-dodecyl alcohol (lauryl alcohol) are slowly added during 2 hours. When all the n-dodecyl alcohol has been added, the reaction mixture is refluxed for 6 hours. The obtained reaction mixture is distilled and the excess of thionyl chloride passes over below 80° C, followed by a small fraction up to 120° C. Finally, the crude 1-chlorododecane distills at 252-257° C, mainly at 255-257° C. The purified 1-chlorododecane is washed with water, 10% sodium carbonate solution, twice with water and dried with anhydrous calcium chloride. 1-Chlorododecane is additionally purified by distillation through an efficient fractionating column. Pure n-hexyl chloride passes over at 116.5° C/5 mm. The yield is 35 grams.

Synthesis, p. 746, 1980 DOI: 10.1055/s-1980-29199

Lauryl chloride is a clear colorless oily liquid. (NTP, 1992)

Insoluble in water.

1-Chlorododecane may be incompatible with strong oxidizing and reducing agents. May be incompatible with many amines, nitrides, azo/diazo compounds, alkali metals, and epoxides.

1-Chlorododecane is combustible.