Chloromethyl group

In organic chemistry, the chloromethyl group is a functional group that has the chemical formula −CH2−Cl.

The naming of this group is derived from the methyl group (which has the formula −CH3), by replacing one hydrogen atom by a chlorine atom.

Compounds with this group are a subclass of the organochlorines.

The way of introducing a chloromethyl group into aromatic compounds is the chloromethylation by the Blanc reaction.

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