Triphenylmethyl Chloride

Chemical properties

Triphenylmethyl chloride or trityl chloride (TrCl) is a white to yellow solid. Insoluble in water, easily soluble in benzene, carbon disulfide, petroleum ether, slightly soluble in alcohol and ether, and becomes trityl alcohol after absorbing water. It is an alkyl halide, sometimes used to introduce the trityl protecting group.

The Uses of Triphenylmethyl Chloride

Trityl Chloride is an alkyl halide commonly used in organic synthesis to introduce the trityl protecting group. Trityl Chloride is used in the preparation of S-trityl-L-cysteine (STLC), a tight-bindin g inhibitor of Eg5 that prevents mitotic progression. It acts as a protecting reagent for amines, alcohols, and thiols.

Preparation

Triphenylmethyl Chloride may be prepared by the reaction of triphenylmethanol with acetyl chloride, or by the Friedel–Crafts alkylation of benzene with carbon tetrachloride to give the trityl chloride-aluminium chloride adduct, which is then hydrolyzed.

Purification Methods

Crystallise trityl chloride from iso-octane. Also crystallise it from 5 parts of pet ether (b 90-100o) and 1 part of acetyl chloride using 1.8g of solvent per g of chloride. Dry it in a desiccator over soda lime and paraffin wax. [Bachman Org Synth Coll Vol III 841 1955, Thomas & Rochow J Am Chem Soc 79 1843 1957, Moisel et al. J Am Chem Soc 108 4706 1986, Beilstein 5 H 750, 5 I 346, 5 II 615, 5 III 2315, 5 IV 2497.] It is moisture sensitive and LACHRYMATORY,