Appearance clear liquid Molar mass 96.95 g/mol | Formula C2H2Cl2 | |
![]() | ||
1,2-Dichloroethene, commonly called 1,2-dichloroethylene or 1,2-DCE, is an organochloride with the molecular formula C2H2Cl2. It is a highly flammable, colorless liquid with a sharp, harsh odor. It can exist as either of two geometric isomers, cis-1,2-dichloroethene or trans-1,2-dichloroethene, but is often used as a mixture of the two. They have modest solubility in water. These compounds have few industrial applications, although they are fundamental given their simple stoichiometries.
Contents
![1,2-Dichloroethene What is the equation for the reaction of 12dichloroethene with](https://alchetron.com/cdn/12-dichloroethene-8db3338b-059f-4289-83ca-26fa5352983-resize-750.gif)
Production
cis-DCE, the Z isomer, is obtainable by the controlled chlorination of acetylene:
C2H2 + Cl2 → C2H2Cl2![1,2-Dichloroethene C2h](https://alchetron.com/cdn/12-dichloroethene-0fafe59c-1fca-4465-92d7-fe1b6bd52d8-resize-750.png)
Industrially both isomers arise as byproduct of the production of vinyl chloride, which is produced on a vast scale. Unlike vinyl chloride, the 1,2-dichloroethylene isomers do not polymerize.
trans-DCE has applications including electronics cleaning, precision cleaning, and certain metal cleaning applications.
Safety
These compounds have "moderate oral toxicity to rats."
![1,2-Dichloroethene E12dichloroethene Kovats Retention Index](https://alchetron.com/cdn/12-dichloroethene-f8dc0a5c-5f9a-4da3-ac4a-bd64d8ba5bc-resize-750.gif)
![1,2-Dichloroethene trans12Dichloroethylene 98 SigmaAldrich](https://alchetron.com/cdn/12-dichloroethene-c56dffca-5c63-4ed6-9721-683641231bb-resize-750.jpg)