Dichloromethyl methyl ether (HCl₂COCH₃) is an organic compound

Organic compound

An organic compound is any member of a large class of gaseous, liquid, or solid chemical compounds whose molecules contain carbon. For historical reasons discussed below, a few types of carbon-containing compounds such as carbides, carbonates, simple oxides of carbon, and cyanides, as well as the...

 that belongs to the class of ether

Ether

Ethers are a class of organic compounds that contain an ether group — an oxygen atom connected to two alkyl or aryl groups — of general formula R–O–R'. A typical example is the solvent and anesthetic diethyl ether, commonly referred to simply as "ether"...

s with a dichloromethyl group and a methyl group

Methyl group

Methyl group is a functional group derived from methane, containing one carbon atom bonded to three hydrogen atoms —CH3. The group is often abbreviated Me. Such hydrocarbon groups occur in many organic compounds. The methyl group can be found in three forms: anion, cation and radical. The anion...

. It can be synthesized from methyl formate

Methyl formate

Methyl formate, also called methyl methanoate, is the methyl ester of formic acid. The simplest example of an ester, it is a clear liquid with an ethereal odor, high vapor pressure, and low surface tension.-Production:...

 and a mixture of phosphorus pentachloride and phosphorus oxychloride or by chlorination of chlorodimethyl ether.

The compound is used in the formylation of aromatic compounds (Rieche formylation

Rieche formylation

Rieche formylation is a type of formylation reaction . The substrates are sterically hindered aromatic compounds - for example mesitylene - and the formylation reagent dichloromethyl methyl ether. The catalyst is titanium tetrachloride, the workup is acidic. The reaction is named after Alfred...

) and as a chlorination agent in the formation of acid chlorides.