Dichloramine-T Explained

Dichloramine-T or N,N-Dichloro-p-toluenesulfonamide is a chemical used as a disinfectant starting at the beginning of the 20th century. The chemical contains toluene substituted by a sulfonamide grouping, which in turn has two chlorine atoms attached to the nitrogen.

Production

Dichloramine-T was first made by Frederick Daniel Chattaway in 1905.^[1] Dichloramine-T can be made from para-toluenesulfonamide and bleaching powder, or chlorine.^[2]

Properties

Dichloramine-T degrades with exposure to light or air.^[3]

Notes and References

1. Chattaway . Frederick Daniel . XIX.—Nitrogen halogen derivatives of the sulphonamides . J. Chem. Soc., Trans. . 1905 . 87 . 145–171 . 10.1039/CT9058700145.
2. Fibroid Disease of Bursae . British Medical Journal . 30 June 1917 . 867 .
3. Book: 10.1002/047084289X.rn01485. N,N-Dichloro-4-methylbenzenesulfonamide [Dichloramine-T]. Encyclopedia of Reagents for Organic Synthesis. 2013. Kattamuri. Padmanabha V.. Li. Guigen. 978-0471936237.