Chloral.hydrate

CCls CHO. A colourless oily liquid with a pungent odour b.p. 98°C. Manut actured by the action of chlorine on ethanol it is also made by the chlorination of ethanal. When allowed to stand, it changes slowly to a white solid. Addition compounds are formed with water see chloral hydrate), ammonia, sodium hydrogen sulphite, alcohols, and some amines and amides. Oxidized by nitric acid to tri-chloroethanoic acid. Decomposed by alkalis to chloroform and a methanoate a convenient method of obtaining pure CHCI3. It is used for the manufacture of DDT. It is also used as a hypnotic. 

Dichloroethanoic acid, CHCljCOOH. Low-melting solid, m.p. 5-6 "C, b.p. 194°C. Prepared by the action of copper powder on trichloroethanoic acid or by the action of sodium cyanide on chloral hydrate. 

In addition to chloroform, many other compounds containing the trichloro-methyl group, CI3C-, show marked physiological action. Thus trichloro-acetaldehyde or chloral hydrate, Cl3C CH(OH) (p. 342), and trichloro-tertiary-butanol or chloretone, CUC CfCHaliOH, are both hypnotics. Similarly, tribromo-ethanol or avertin, BraC-CHjOH, has strong anaesthetic properties. 

Aldehydes. Formaldehyde, metaformaldehyde, acetaldehyde, paraldehyde, chloral hydrate, benzaldehyde, salicylaldehyde (and other substituted benzaldehydes). 

Aniline.—Burns with a very smoky flame, clouds of soot being produced. Typical of many aromatic substances. i,2 Dibromoethane.—Does not burn until vapour becomes hot and then burns with a slightly smoky flame. Typical of substances rich in halogens such as cldoroform, chloral hydrate, and carbon, tetrachloride. (Note, however, that iodoform evolves copious fumes of iodine when heated in this way.)... 

Halogen, Chloral hydrate, sodium chloroacetate, chlorobenzene, />-chlorophenol, dichlorhydrin, bromobenzene, iodobenzene. 

Bisulphite addition compound. To 0 2 g. of powdered chloral hydrate add 2 ml. of saturated NaHSOj solution and stir. The hydrate dissolves and the white addition product separates. Stale or slightly diluted solutions of NaHSO, do not give this product. 

Action of sulphuric add. To 0-5 g. of powdered chloral hydrate add 2 ml. of cone. H2SO4, shake well and allow to stand. Liquid chloral gradually separates out as an oil on the surface of the acid. 

Isocyanide reaction. Since chloral hydrate is readily converted into chloroform by alkali, it will give the isocyanide reaction. To a few crystals of the solid add about 5 ml. of alcoholic NaOH solution and a few drops of aniline, and heat the disagreeable odour of phenyl isocyanide, C H(NC, is rapidly detected. 

Derivatives. The precise identification of a compound normally depends upon the preparation of a derivative and the determination of physical constants such as m.p. in the case of a solid. Many simple compounds can, however, be identified with a fair degree of certainty by intelligently-selected qualitative tests alone, e.g., formates, oxalates, succinates, lactates, tartrates, chloral hydrate. 

Monohydric alcohols, aldehydes (including chloral hydrate), ketones, cinnamic acid, amines (2-naphthylaminc is odourless), nitrophenols (resemble both phenol and nitro-compound),... 

Chloral hydrate Acid halides Halogeno-hydrocarbons Ammonium salts )... 

Aldehydes (including chloral hydrate) formates and lactates some esters chloroform and iodoform reducing sugars some phenols. 

Formation of silver mirror or precipitate of silver indicates reducing agent. (This is often a more sensitive test than I (a) above, and some compounds reduce ammoniacal silver nitrate but are without effect on Fehling s solution.) Given by aldehydes and chloral hydrate formates, lactates and tartrates reducing sugars benzoquinone many amines uric acid. 

TEST Formaldehyde (solution) Acetal d yde (solution) Paraldehyde Chloral hydrate Benzaldehyde Salicylaldehyde... 

The student is recommended to carry out the following reactions with chloral hydrate in order to familiarise himself with its general properties. 

Confirm this by treating 0 5 g. of chloral hydrate with 3 ml. of dilute sodium hydroxide solution and warming gently. 

Dichloroacetic acid is conveniently prepared by the action of calcium carbonate in the presence of a little sodium cyanide upon chloral hydrate, followed by acidification with concentrated hydrochloric acid ... 

Trichloroacetic acid is best prepared by the oxidation of chloral hydrate with fuming nitric acid ... 

Fit a 1500 ml. bolt-head flask with a reflux condenser and a thermometer. Place a solution of 125 g. of chloral hydrate in 225 ml. of warm water (50-60°) in the flask, add successively 77 g. of precipitated calcium carbonate, 1 ml. of amyl alcohol (to decrease the amount of frothing), and a solution of 5 g. of commercial sodium cyanide in 12 ml. of water. An exothermic reaction occurs. Heat the warm reaction mixture with a small flame so that it reaches 75° in about 10 minutes and then remove the flame. The temperature will continue to rise to 80-85° during 5-10 minutes and then falls at this point heat the mixture to boiling and reflux for 20 minutes. Cool the mixture in ice to 0-5°, acidify with 107-5 ml. of concentrated hydrochloric acid. Extract the acid with five 50 ml. portions of ether. Dry the combined ethereal extracts with 10 g. of anhydrous sodium or magnesium sulphate, remove the ether on a water bath, and distil the residue under reduced pressure using a Claiseii flask with fractionating side arm. Collect the dichloroacetic acid at 105-107°/26 mm. The yield is 85 g. 

The name D.D.T. is derived from dichlorodiphenylfrichloroethane this is a misnomer since the name represents 27 different compounds. As commonly employed it refers to 2 2-6ts(p-chlorophenyl)-l 1 1-trichloroethane. It is conveniently prepared by the condensation of chlorobenzene and chloral hydrate in the presence of concentrated sulphuric acid ... 

Dichloroacetic acid is produced in the laboratory by the reaction of chloral hydrate [302-17-0] with sodium cyanide (31). It has been manufactured by the chlorination of acetic and chloroacetic acids (32), reduction of trichloroacetic acid (33), hydrolysis of pentachloroethane [76-01-7] (34), and hydrolysis of dichloroacetyl chloride. Due to similar boiling points, the separation of dichloroacetic acid from chloroacetic acid is not practical by conventional distillation. However, this separation has been accompHshed by the addition of a eotropeforming hydrocarbons such as bromoben2ene (35) or by distillation of the methyl or ethyl ester. 

Anesthesia. Materials that have unquestionable anesthetic properties are chloral hydrate [302-17-0] paraldehyde, dimethoxymethane [109-87-5] and acetaldehyde diethyl acetal. In iadustrial exposures, however, any action as an anesthesia is overshadowed by effects as a primary irritant, which prevent voluntary inhalation of any significant quantities. The small quantities which can be tolerated by inhalation are usually metabolized so rapidly that no anesthetic symptoms occur. 

Arsenious oxide, trivalent antimony (73), sulfurous acid (74), hydrogen sulfide (75), stannous ion, and thiocianate (76) have been recommended for the titration of iodine. However, none of these appears to have a greater sensitivity for the deterrnination of minute quantities of iodine than thiosulfate. Organic compounds such as formaldehyde (77), chloral hydrate (78), aldoses (79), acetone (70,80), and hydroquinone have also been suggested for this purpose. 

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