Acetyl Chloride

 Acetyl chloride (CH3COCl) is an acyl chloride derived from acetic acid. It belongs to the class of organic compounds called acid halides. It is a colorless, corrosive, volatile liquid. Its formula is commonly abbreviated to AcCl.

Acetyl chloride is produced in the laboratory by the reaction of acetic acid with chlorodehydrating agents such as PCl3, PCl5, SO2Cl2, phosgene, or SOCl2. However, these methods usually give acetyl chloride contaminated by phosphorus or sulfur impurities, which may interfere with the organic reactions.[5]

Acetyl chloride is used for acetylation reactions, i.e., the introduction of an acetyl group. Acetyl is an acyl group having the formula-C(=O)-CH3. For further information on the types of chemical reactions compounds such as acetyl chloride can undergo, see acyl halide.