Methyl hypochlorite
Encyclopedia
Methyl hypochlorite is an unstable and highly toxic compound that can be produced from reacting methanol
with hypochlorous acid
. It is extremely unstable and can decompose explosively giving off toxic fumes. Its instability is caused by the combination of the reducing methyl group and the oxidizing hypochlorite
group.
Methanol
Methanol, also known as methyl alcohol, wood alcohol, wood naphtha or wood spirits, is a chemical with the formula CH3OH . It is the simplest alcohol, and is a light, volatile, colorless, flammable liquid with a distinctive odor very similar to, but slightly sweeter than, ethanol...
with hypochlorous acid
Hypochlorous acid
Hypochlorous acid is a weak acid with the chemical formula HClO. It forms when chlorine dissolves in water. It cannot be isolated in pure form due to rapid equilibration with its precursor...
. It is extremely unstable and can decompose explosively giving off toxic fumes. Its instability is caused by the combination of the reducing methyl group and the oxidizing hypochlorite
Hypochlorite
The hypochlorite ion, also known as chlorate anion is ClO−. A hypochlorite compound is a chemical compound containing this group, with chlorine in oxidation state +1.Hypochlorites are the salts of hypochlorous acid...
group.