Octanoyl chloride

clear liquid

Octanoyl chloride is used to produce adhesives. It is used as an acylating agent for a variety of compounds such as sugars (e.g. Sucrose, aromatic compounds (e.g. Anisole and monoglycerides.

Applications of octanoyl chloride include:

• Synthesis of (R)-2-propyloctanoic acid, a therapeutic agent for Alzheimer′s disease.
• Synthesis of a variety of N-n-octyl-D-gluconamide based organogels.
• Building 2-heptylbenzo[d]thiazole moiety to synthesize conjugated copolymer with fluorine, as cathode interlayer in inverted polymer solar cells (PSCs).
• Octanoyl chloride is one of the essential precursors in the total synthesis of ()-mandelalide L, a marine macrolide that display significant cytotoxicity against human cancer cell lines.

Diphosgene (108.8 g) was added to a mixture of octanoic acid (144.2 g) and DMF (1.5 L) at 70 C°. The mixture was left to stand for 1 h, and then nitrogen was bubbled through it for 30 min at 100 C° to give 96.9% of octanoyl chloride (purity 99.99%). Benzoyl chloride and terephthaloyl chloride were similarly prepared.

Clear colorless to straw-colored liquid with a pungent odor.

Reacts vigorously with water to form HCl and caprylic acid. Insoluble in water.

Octanoyl chloride is incompatible with bases (including amines), water, alcohols, and with oxidizing agents . May react vigorously or explosively if mixed with diisopropyl ether or other ethers in the presence of trace amounts of metal salts [J. Haz. Mat., 1981, 4, 291].

Octanoyl chloride is combustible.