SYNTHESIS OF PHOSGENE FROM HALOGENATED HYDROCARBONS

The formation of phosgene by the aerial oxidation of chlorinated organic compounds is of considerable industrial interest and has been considered, in its proper context, in some detail in Section 3.3, whilst the in vivo and in vitro formation of phosgene from organochlorine compounds has been discussed in Section 2.5.4. Only those reactions which might constitute a synthetic procedure will be considered here. 

The action of air on the chlorinated hydrocarbons tetrachloromethane, trichloromethane, trichloroethene, 1,2-dichloroethane, tetrachloroethane, pentachloroethane or hexachloroethane, heated in the presence of metals, charcoal or in an open flame, has been reported by SjSberg [1894]. 

Tetrachloromethane is relatively cheap and abundantly available, and it can be converted to phosgene by a variety of methods. The oxidation or hydrolysis of CCl is 

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