2,3,4-Trifluoronitrobenzene
2,3,4-Trifluoronitrobenzene — 2,3,4-TFNB — is a halogen-exchange (Halex) fluorination product and one of the highest-value fluoronitroaromatic intermediates in the pharmaceutical supply chain. Reduced to 2,3,4-trifluoroaniline it opens the route to the pyridobenzoxazine core of fluoroquinolone antibiotics such as ofloxacin and levofloxacin, and it feeds agrochemical actives and fine chemical synthesis through the same activated ring.
Chelora Chemicals supplies 2,3,4-TFNB to pharmaceutical intermediate manufacturers, agrochemical formulators and fine chemical houses worldwide, in drums, IBCs and container quantities, with a batch COA and GHS safety data sheet on every consignment.
Product identity
- CAS Number
- 771-69-7
- IUPAC name
- 1,2,3-Trifluoro-4-nitrobenzene
- Molecular formula
- C6H2F3NO2
- Molecular weight
- 177.08 g/mol
- EC / EINECS
- 212-238-4
- MDL number
- MFCD00041546
- SMILES
- O=[N+]([O-])c1ccc(F)c(F)c1F
- HS Code
- 2904 99*
* Confirm the exact HS heading with your customs broker — classification of fluorinated nitrobenzene derivatives varies between destination tariffs.
What 2,3,4-Trifluoronitrobenzene is used for
2,3,4-Trifluoronitrobenzene carries three fluorines and one nitro group arranged around a single ring, and every one of those substituents is doing work for the chemist downstream. The nitro group activates the ring for reduction to the corresponding trifluoroaniline; the fluorines then act either as leaving groups for further substitution or, once reduction is complete, as the fixed fluorine pattern that gives fluoroquinolone antibiotics their potency and pharmacokinetic profile.
In practice 2,3,4-TFNB is a captive pharmaceutical and agrochemical intermediate: plants buy it to reduce to 2,3,4-trifluoroaniline and carry it through to a benzoxazine or quinolone core, or to use the activated ring directly in further nucleophilic aromatic substitution chemistry. Very little of it is ever sold on as-is.
Why the exact isomer matters
Three trifluoronitrobenzene isomers are commercially available, and they are not interchangeable — the fluorine substitution pattern decides which fluoroquinolone or agrochemical scaffold you can build:
- 2,3,4-Trifluoronitrobenzene (CAS 771-69-7) — this product. Fluorines at the 2, 3 and 4 positions relative to the nitro group; the pattern used for the ofloxacin/levofloxacin benzoxazine route.
- 2,4,5-Trifluoronitrobenzene (CAS 2105-61-5) — a different fluorine pattern, its own downstream chemistry and a markedly higher boiling point (194–195 °C at atmospheric pressure).
- 2,4,6-Trifluoronitrobenzene (CAS 315-14-0) — the symmetrical isomer, used across its own dye and fine chemical routes.
If your purchase order simply says "trifluoronitrobenzene", quote us the CAS number and we will confirm the correct material before the order is placed. We can source the sister isomers, the corresponding trifluoroaniline and related fluoronitroaromatics as well — browse the full product range or send us the CAS number you need.
Appearance and handling character
2,3,4-TFNB ships as a light yellow to yellow or orange clear liquid at room temperature — unlike many nitroaromatic intermediates it has no meaningful melting point under normal ambient conditions, so pack format and stowage are planned around a liquid, not a solid. It is combustible (flash point ≈ 93 °C), practically insoluble in water and miscible with most common organic solvents. Read the safety section before planning any handling: this material carries a suspected mutagenicity notation alongside its acute toxicity profile, and that should shape your controls from the outset.
| Parameter | Typical value |
|---|---|
| Appearance | Light yellow to yellow/orange clear liquid |
| Assay (GC) | 98.0% min |
| Moisture (KF) | 0.2% max |
| Boiling range | 91 – 93 °C @ 20 mmHg |
| Total isomeric impurities | 1.0% max |
| Non-volatile residue | Reported per batch |
Important: the figures above are indicative of commercial grade material and are offered for planning only. The batch certificate of analysis is the governing document. If your process demands a tighter assay, a specific isomer limit, or a controlled moisture figure for the reduction step, send us the specification and we will quote against it rather than against a generic grade.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Physical state | Clear liquid at ambient |
| Melting point | Not applicable — liquid at room temperature |
| Boiling point | ≈ 92 °C @ 20 mmHg (reduced pressure) |
| Flash point | ≈ 93 °C |
| Relative density | ≈ 1.54 (25 °C) |
| Refractive index | ≈ 1.492 |
| Water solubility | Practically insoluble |
| Organic solubility | Miscible with alcohols, ketones, esters & aromatic solvents |
| Odour | Sharp, characteristic nitroaromatic odour |
Physical constants compiled from public reference data for CAS 771-69-7 and rounded for readability. Treat them as orientation, not as a specification.
Where our customers put this molecule to work
2,3,4-TFNB is a specification-driven pharmaceutical and agrochemical intermediate. Its volume is concentrated in a small number of demanding, high-value routes.
Fluoroquinolone antibiotics
The flagship outlet. Reduction to 2,3,4-trifluoroaniline followed by reductive alkylation and ring closure builds the pyridobenzoxazine core shared by ofloxacin, levofloxacin and related third-generation quinolone antibacterials.
- Benzoxazine ring-closure chemistry
- Isomer purity carries straight through to the active
- See our fluorinated aniline range
Agrochemical actives
The same Halex-route trifluoronitrobenzene feeds crop-protection active-ingredient synthesis, where the fluorine pattern is carried through into the finished molecule largely unchanged.
- Fluorinated active-ingredient chemistry
- Consistent isomer profile batch to batch
- See our agrochemical intermediate range
Pharmaceutical fine chemistry
Beyond the quinolone route, the activated ring is a useful electrophile in its own right — the fluorine ortho and para to the nitro group is displaceable by amine, thiol and alkoxide nucleophiles for custom intermediate work.
- Nucleophilic aromatic substitution chemistry
- Custom amine and ether formation
- Available in trial and laboratory quantities
Dye & specialty pigment chemistry
A fluorinated aniline precursor for specialty colourant work where fluorine's small size and strong electron-withdrawing character are used to fine-tune shade, fastness and solvent resistance.
- Fluorinated diazo and coupling chemistry
- Low-volume, high-value colourant grades
- Ask about custom purity specifications
R&D & process development
Trifluoroaromatic building blocks with a fixed, defined substitution pattern are in steady demand from medicinal chemistry and process R&D groups scoping new fluorinated scaffolds.
- Small-pack laboratory quantities
- Full analytical CoA on every pack size
- Scale-up support as your programme grows
Contract & scheduled supply
Antibiotic and active-ingredient plants run to validated production campaigns, not to a calendar month. Most 2,3,4-TFNB buyers want tonnage released against a production plan rather than in one shipment. We hold inventory and release it to your schedule.
- Annual contracts with scheduled call-off
- Price held across the contract period
- Second source held in reserve
How we supply 2,3,4-Trifluoronitrobenzene
Chelora Chemicals is a supplier and sourcing partner, not a manufacturer. We own no Halex fluorination plant — and for a technology-concentrated intermediate like this one, that independence works in your favour. Global capacity for halogen-exchange fluorination sits with a small number of qualified plants, and we are never obliged to push you whatever one of them happens to be running that month.
Instead we place your order with whichever qualified producer best matches your assay, your isomer tolerance, your price point and your delivery window.
We keep a second qualified source on this line. When a Halex unit goes down for maintenance, or a KF or chlorobenzene feedstock disruption bites, your campaign switches source rather than stalling.
- Specification read against the CAS first. We confirm you need 771-69-7 and not the 2,4,5- or 2,4,6- isomer before we quote a price.
- Batch COA shared before dispatch. You approve the assay, moisture and isomer profile against your own spec while the material is still in our warehouse.
- Hazard status stated up front. This material is a combustible liquid with a suspected mutagenicity notation, and we say so at enquiry stage — not in the small print of a document pack that arrives with the goods.
- Pre-shipment samples for qualification. New account or new source, your R&D team runs a lab batch before the full quantity ever moves.
- Liquid handling planned in advance. As a combustible liquid, pack format, bonding/grounding and stowage on the vessel all matter. We plan them with you before booking.
- Export machinery handled in-house. Hazard classification, UN-approved packing, labelling, freight booking and customs paperwork are ours to manage.
- Consolidation onto one bill of lading. Ship 2,3,4-TFNB alongside other intermediates from our range — one invoice, one shipment, one counterparty.
Packed for a liquid, not a solid
As a combustible liquid, pack format drives both your landed cost and your fire-safety controls at goods-in. Tell us how it will be charged at your end and we will quote the format that suits your operation.
UN-approved steel drums
Lined or unlined mild-steel drums with a bung closure, palletised for LCL and full-container movements. The default for most commercial call-offs.
IBC totes
Composite IBC totes with steel cage for high-volume users with mechanical charging. Fewer handling movements and lower packing cost per kilo than drummed material.
Samples & trial packs
Laboratory samples and pilot quantities dispatched in UN-approved glass or HDPE bottles by courier so your R&D team can qualify the grade before committing to campaign volume.
ISO tank containers
For contracted bulk-liquid volumes, an ISO tank cuts packing cost and handling to close to zero. We arrange the tank booking, cleaning certificate and positioning.
Incoterms to suit you
Quoted on the Incoterm your purchasing team works to. Ocean, air and road freight arranged end-to-end with combustible-liquid documentation filed before booking.
Campaign despatch
Antibiotic and active-ingredient production runs to validated campaign. We hold contracted tonnage and release it against your production calendar instead of landing it all at once.
Handle this as a combustible, mutagen-flagged liquid
This material is acutely toxic by all three exposure routes, a skin and eye irritant, a combustible liquid, and carries a suspected mutagenicity notation in the harmonised GHS classification. The summary below is orientation only — the safety data sheet supplied with your consignment is the authoritative document and should govern your risk assessment, PPE selection, exposure monitoring and emergency planning.
Classified hazards
H227Combustible liquid.H302+H312+H332Harmful if swallowed, in contact with skin or if inhaled.H315Causes skin irritation.H319Causes serious eye irritation.H341Suspected of causing genetic defects.
Hazard statements reflect the harmonised GHS classification commonly published for CAS 771-69-7. Supplier classifications may differ in detail; always read the SDS issued with your specific batch, and treat the mutagenicity entry as the one that shapes your controls.
Spill & emergency orientation
Plan your response before the drum arrives, not after one leaks. The points below are orientation for your emergency planners — sections 4, 5 and 6 of the SDS are the authoritative instructions and should be posted at the point of use.
- Eliminate ignition sources first. As a combustible liquid, remove naked flames, sparks and hot surfaces from the immediate area before beginning cleanup.
- Contain, do not hose to drain. Absorb with inert material into a labelled container; never wash spilled liquid to a drain or watercourse.
- Assume skin absorption. Contaminated clothing is a continuing exposure route — remove it immediately and wash the skin thoroughly.
- Have the SDS with the casualty. The treating clinician needs the product identity and CAS number in hand for methaemoglobinaemia-aware treatment.
- Record the exposure. For a material carrying a mutagenicity notation, most occupational regimes expect an exposure record to be created and retained. That is a decision for your EHS function, and it is easier made before an incident than after one.
Storage
- Cool, dry, well-ventilated store, away from direct sunlight and any ignition source. Treat storage areas with the same fire precautions used for other combustible liquids.
- Keep containers tightly closed. An open drum invites both moisture pickup and vapour loss, and increases the fire risk in a warm store.
- Segregate from oxidising agents, strong bases and reducing agents. As an activated nitroaromatic it can react exothermically with strong nucleophiles.
- Access-controlled storage. For a mutagenicity-flagged material, restricting who can reach the store is part of the control, not an administrative nicety.
- Shelf life is typically 12–24 months in sealed original packing under these conditions. Re-assay before use after long storage.
Handling & PPE
- Design exposure out, do not manage it down. Closed transfer and bonded/grounded pumping first, ventilation second, PPE last.
- Skin protection is the priority. Chemical-resistant gloves and coveralls, not just splash protection — the acute toxicity and irritation profile applies to skin contact as much as to inhalation.
- Respiratory protection where vapour or mist may be generated — particularly during drum transfer or sampling — per your own exposure assessment.
- Health surveillance and exposure records. Where a mutagenicity notation triggers obligations at your site, your occupational health provider and EHS function own the detail. We flag the classification; the programme is yours to run.
- Never discharge to drain or watercourse. Collect spills and residues as regulated chemical waste.
Transport
2,3,4-TFNB moves as regulated cargo, typically under UN 2810, Class 6.1, Packing Group III. We classify each consignment, apply UN-approved packaging and labelling, and file the dangerous-goods declaration before the booking is made. The exact packing instruction and quantity limits are stated on your shipping documents and SDS — ask us for the current DG paperwork when you plan the shipment.
What travels with every consignment
A pharmaceutical intermediate shipment is only as good as the file that travels with it. Verifying what the source plant sends is precisely the work you are buying from a supplier.
Certificate of Analysis
Batch-specific assay by GC, moisture by Karl Fischer, appearance and isomer profile — checked against your purchase specification before we release the goods.
GHS Safety Data Sheet
Full 16-section SDS in GHS format covering hazards, exposure controls, handling, storage, spill response, toxicology and disposal — issued in the language your destination requires.
Dangerous Goods Declaration
UN number, hazard class, packing group and IMDG or IATA declaration prepared and filed before the container is booked, with correctly marked and labelled packaging.
Certificate of Origin
Chamber-attested where required, plus preferential-origin forms where a trade agreement gives your import duty relief at the destination.
Third-party inspection
SGS, Intertek or Bureau Veritas sampling and inspection arranged on request before loading, giving you independent verification of what actually ships.
Retained & pre-shipment samples
Pre-shipment samples carry the same COA as the commercial lot, so what your laboratory qualifies is exactly what arrives. Retention samples held against the batch.
From Halex fluorination to finished scaffold
2,3,4-TFNB sits two steps into a pattern shared by most fluoroquinolone routes: build the fluorine pattern first, on the nitro-activated ring, then reduce and cyclise. The route below is the general industrial pattern, not a process disclosure.
Start with a chloronitrobenzene
A di- or trichloronitrobenzene precursor provides the nitro-activated ring that halogen-exchange fluorination will work on.
Halex fluorination
Potassium fluoride in a polar aprotic solvent, with a phase-transfer catalyst, exchanges the chlorines for fluorines under controlled temperature to give 2,3,4-TFNB.
Distil to grade
The crude liquid is washed and vacuum-distilled to the assay and colour the end market requires — pharmaceutical, agrochemical or fine-chemical grade.
Reduce & carry forward
Catalytic or chemical reduction gives 2,3,4-trifluoroaniline, the direct precursor to the benzoxazine core used in ofloxacin- and levofloxacin-type antibiotics.
Why fluorine-pattern purity carries through the whole route
The Halex step and the reduction step both act on the same ring. Anything that competes for those positions, or that carries a slightly different fluorine pattern, follows the material all the way down the line:
- Isomeric trifluoronitrobenzenes reduce and cyclise in parallel, giving a structurally similar but pharmacologically distinct by-product that is difficult to purge late in the synthesis.
- Incomplete halogen exchange leaves residual chlorine on the ring, which behaves differently at the reduction and ring-closure steps and can show up as an unexpected impurity in the active.
- Residual moisture is tolerable in some steps but can hydrolyse sensitive intermediates further down the route, wasting reagent and yield.
- Colour bodies from over-fluorination or thermal stress concentrate in the still bottoms and reduce the number of passes you get from a distillation train.
That chain of consequences is the reason we quote against your written specification rather than a generic "98% technical" grade, and the reason the batch COA is shared for approval before dispatch rather than sent with the invoice.
| Intermediate | Principal outlet |
|---|---|
| 2,3,4-Trifluoronitrobenzene CAS 771-69-7 — this product | Ofloxacin & levofloxacin route Agrochemical actives Fine chemical intermediates |
| 2,4,5-Trifluoronitrobenzene CAS 2105-61-5 | Alternative fluoroquinolone chemistry Fine chemical synthesis |
| 2,4,6-Trifluoronitrobenzene CAS 315-14-0 | Dye & pigment chemistry Specialty synthesis |
If your route calls for one of the others, we can source those as well — browse the full fluoroaromatic range. Send the CAS number and we will confirm the correct material before quoting.
What actually moves the price of this intermediate
2,3,4-TFNB is not a commodity with a screen price. Knowing what drives the quote helps you time a purchase and read whether an offer is realistic.
Concentrated demand pull
Fluoroquinolone antibiotic manufacturing runs to validated production campaigns, so demand for this intermediate arrives in blocks rather than as a smooth year-round pull.
- Quote early for campaign tonnage
- Spot buying against a live campaign costs materially more
- Contracted call-off smooths the exposure
Fluorine feedstock economics
Halex fluorination runs on potassium fluoride and a polar aprotic solvent system. Movements in fluorspar-derived KF pricing and energy cost feed through to the finished intermediate within a quarter or so.
- KF and solvent cost set the floor
- Halex capacity is technology-concentrated
- We flag feedstock-driven moves in the quote
Regulatory pressure
A suspected mutagenicity notation raises the compliance cost of producing, storing and moving this material, and it sits inside the price you are quoted.
- Handling obligations vary by jurisdiction
- Some markets restrict certain end uses
- We check destination rules before quoting
Pack format
Cost per kilo falls from drums to IBC totes to ISO tanks — and moving to bulk liquid transport also cuts the number of times an operator opens a container.
- Drums carry the highest packing cost
- ISO tanks are cheapest per kilo at volume
- Less manual handling means less exposure
Freight & DG surcharges
This is regulated cargo, so ocean freight carries a hazardous surcharge and combustible- liquid space is tighter than for general cargo. Destination and Incoterm move landed cost as much as the ex-works price does.
- Compare on landed cost, not ex-works
- DG space books out ahead of peak season
- We quote FOB, CIF, CFR or DDP as you prefer
Source availability
A Halex plant turnaround, an environmental inspection, or a KF supply disruption can take capacity offline at short notice. Single-sourced buyers feel this hardest.
- We hold a second qualified source on this line
- Qualify the alternate before you need it
- Ask us about dual-source contracts
| If your end use is… | Specify |
|---|---|
| Fluoroquinolone antibiotics | High assay with tight isomer limit; low residual chlorine |
| Agrochemical actives | Standard commercial grade, consistent isomer profile |
| Custom SNAr / fine chemistry | Assay per your written specification |
| Dye & pigment chemistry | Colour ceiling and low insolubles |
| Laboratory / R&D | Small pack, high purity, full analytical pack |
Not sure which column you are in? Describe the reaction you are running and our technical desk will recommend the grade — including telling you when a cheaper specification would do the job just as well.
Support that goes beyond shipping the drum
What our technical desk will do
- Match a grade to your reaction. Tell us the step you are running and we will recommend the specification — and say so plainly when a tighter, costlier grade would add nothing.
- Be straight about the hazard profile. We state the mutagenicity notation at enquiry stage so your EHS team can price the controls into the decision, rather than meeting it for the first time on the label.
- Advise on handling and storage for your site conditions — combustible-liquid controls in a Gulf summer store are a different problem from those in a northern-European one.
- Review your specification before it goes into a contract, so you are not locked into a limit that no plant can consistently hit.
Regulatory & compliance notes
- Mutagenicity notations are jurisdiction-specific in their consequences. Several regimes impose exposure monitoring, health surveillance and record retention around classified mutagens. Confirm what applies at your site before the first delivery.
- Import controls vary by destination. Some jurisdictions apply registration, licensing or end-use declaration requirements to fluorinated nitroaromatic intermediates. We check the destination rules before quoting, not after you have raised the PO.
- Chemical inventory listings differ between regions. Confirm your obligations under the applicable inventory regime for your import volume — we will supply the identity data you need for that filing.
- Precursor and dual-use screening can apply to certain fluorinated aromatics in some jurisdictions. Your regulatory team should confirm the position for your import volume and end use.
None of the above is legal advice — your own regulatory affairs team owns the final compliance position for your import and your workplace. What we commit to is giving you accurate product identity data, an honest statement of the hazard classification and complete documentation to work from.
From enquiry to delivered pallet
Send the specification
Product name or CAS 771-69-7, the assay and isomer limits you work to, quantity, pack preference and destination port.
Receive a firm quote
Pricing, lead time, packing and Incoterm confirmed in writing within 24 hours — our sourcing desk is staffed around the clock.
Qualify and approve
Sample dispatched if you are qualifying a new source. Batch COA shared for your approval before the material is released.
Ship and track
DG classification filed, freight booked, export documents issued, and the consignment tracked through transit and clearance to your plant.
Often bought alongside this grade
Consolidate several intermediates onto one shipment and one invoice. These are the fluoroaromatics and anilines our pharmaceutical, agrochemical and fine chemical customers most often order in the same programme. Every card below opens our full product range — contact us with the CAS number for a dedicated quote on any of them.
What buyers ask us about 2,3,4-Trifluoronitrobenzene
Is this a liquid or a solid?
Is this used to make antibiotics?
Can I use the 2,4,5- or 2,4,6- isomer instead?
What purity do you normally supply?
What is the minimum order quantity?
How long does delivery take?
How should we store it, and what is the shelf life?
Is this a dangerous good? What paperwork comes with it?
- Batch certificate of analysis
- GHS-format safety data sheet
- Dangerous-goods declaration with UN number, class and packing group
- Commercial invoice, packing list and bill of lading or airway bill
- Certificate of origin and any destination-specific forms
Do you supply to my country?
Do you manufacture this yourself?
Can you hold stock against a production plan?
Request pricing on 2,3,4-Trifluoronitrobenzene
Send your required assay, quantity, pack format and destination port. Our sourcing desk is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and comes back with pricing, lead time and packing options — whether that is a single trial sample or a contracted ISO-tank programme for the year.