dichloroacetyl

Dichloroacetyl refers to the acyl group derived from dichloroacetic acid. Its chemical formula is Cl₂CHCO−. This group is a component of various organic compounds. For instance, dichloroacetyl chloride, with the formula Cl₂CHCOCl, is an acid chloride that can be used in organic synthesis to introduce the dichloroacetyl group into other molecules. Dichloroacetic acid itself is a derivative of acetic acid where two hydrogen atoms on the methyl group have been replaced by chlorine atoms. The dichloroacetyl moiety is also found in some pharmaceuticals. One notable example is the drug chloramphenicol, an antibiotic, where the dichloroacetyl group is attached to the amino group of a 2-amino-1,3-propanediol backbone. The presence of the two chlorine atoms significantly alters the electronic and steric properties compared to a simple acetyl group. The dichloroacetyl group is generally considered an electron-withdrawing group due to the electronegativity of the chlorine atoms.