Ethyl Chloroformate (ECF)

Ethyl chloroformate (ECF), also known as ethyl carbonochloridate, is a highly reactive, volatile chloroformate ester (ClCO₂CH₂CH₃) derived from phosgene chemistry. It appears as a clear, colorless, flammable liquid with a sharp, pungent odor. Insoluble in water, it hydrolyzes rapidly to release HCl, ethanol, and CO₂, but is fully miscible with common organic solvents.

Primarily, ECF functions as a powerful acylating agent and synthetic intermediate. In pharmaceuticals, it enables efficient peptide coupling and carbamate protection, and is used in penicillin derivatives. In agrochemicals, it supports the synthesis of carbamate-based pesticides. It also finds use in mining (as a precursor to flotation agents), in PVC stabilization and specialty carbonate solvents, and as a derivatization reagent in GC‑MS for analyzing acids and phenolics.