2,6-Dichloroaniline
2,6-Dichloroaniline — 2,6-DCA in the trade — is the pharmaceutical member of the dichloroaniline family. Chlorine on both sides of the amine forces the nitrogen out of the plane of the ring, and that twist is exactly what molecules like diclofenac and clonidine are built around. It also feeds fluoroquinolone antibacterial chemistry and a range of agrochemical intermediates.
Chelora Chemicals supplies 2,6-DCA to API manufacturers, fine chemical producers and agrochemical plants worldwide, in bags, drums and container quantities, with a batch COA and GHS safety data sheet on every consignment.
Product identity
- CAS Number
- 608-31-1
- IUPAC name
- 2,6-Dichloroaniline
- Molecular formula
- C6H5Cl2N
- Molecular weight
- 162.01 g/mol
- EC / EINECS
- 210-160-5
- MDL number
- MFCD00007675
- SMILES
- Nc1c(Cl)cccc1Cl
- HS Code
- 2921 42*
* Confirm the exact HS heading with your customs broker — classification of halogenated aniline derivatives varies between destination tariffs.
What 2,6-Dichloroaniline is used for
2,6-Dichloroaniline is the symmetrically hindered dichloroaniline: chlorine sits on both carbons flanking the amino group. That symmetry is the whole point of the molecule. The two ortho chlorines crowd the nitrogen from either side, forcing any group attached to it out of the plane of the ring. In a finished drug molecule that enforced twist is not an inconvenience — it is the conformation the active depends on.
The practical consequence is that 2,6-DCA behaves differently from its sister isomers. Diazotisation is harder work than on an unhindered aniline, so this isomer rarely goes into azo colour chemistry. Instead it is used as a nucleophilic nitrogen — in N-arylation, condensation and ring-forming reactions — which is why its commercial home is pharmaceutical synthesis rather than pigments.
Why the isomer matters
"Dichloroaniline" is not a specification. Six isomers exist, they are indistinguishable on a packing list, and here the substitution is not merely a yield problem — no other isomer gives you the hindered geometry the downstream molecule was designed around:
- 2,6-Dichloroaniline (CAS 608-31-1) — this product. Both chlorines ortho. Melting point around 36–39 °C, the lowest of the family.
- 2,4-Dichloroaniline (CAS 554-00-7) — ortho and para. Azo colour and urea chemistry. Melts around 59–62 °C.
- 2,5-Dichloroaniline (CAS 95-82-9) — the azo pigment workhorse. Melts around 47–50 °C.
- 3,4-Dichloroaniline (CAS 95-76-1) — the phenylurea herbicide intermediate. Melts around 69–71 °C.
If your purchase order simply says "DCA", quote us the CAS number and we will confirm the correct material before the order is placed. We supply all the commercially important isomers — see the full intermediate range.
Appearance and handling character
2,6-DCA ships as a white to light brown crystalline solid with a melting point of only about 36–39 °C. That is the single most important practical fact on this page. It is barely above a warm summer day, comfortably below the internal temperature of a container in the tropics, and close enough to skin temperature that a handful will begin to soften. Expect this material to arrive fused or partly liquid on any warm routing, and plan the pack format accordingly. It is only slightly soluble in water (around 1.6 g/L) and dissolves readily in alcohols, ketones and aromatic solvents. Like all anilines it darkens on storage in air and light.
| Parameter | Typical value |
|---|---|
| Appearance | White to light brown crystals / lumps |
| Assay (GC) | 99.0% min |
| Moisture (KF) | 0.3% max |
| Melting range | 36 – 39 °C |
| Total isomeric impurities | 0.5% max |
| Insolubles / 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. Pharmaceutical-chain buyers routinely specify tighter isomer, metals and residual-solvent limits than a general technical grade carries — send us the specification and we will quote against it.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Physical state | Low-melting crystalline solid |
| Melting point | ≈ 36 – 39 °C |
| Boiling point | ≈ 228 °C @ 760 mmHg |
| Flash point | > 110 °C |
| Relative density | ≈ 1.28 |
| Water solubility | ≈ 1.6 g/L @ 20 °C |
| Organic solubility | Soluble in alcohols, ketones, aromatic & chlorinated solvents |
| Amine character | Sterically hindered; weakly basic |
| Stability | May darken on storage in air and light |
Physical constants compiled from public reference data for CAS 608-31-1 and rounded for readability. Published densities vary noticeably between sources — where the figure matters to your process, take it from the batch COA.
Where our customers put this molecule to work
Unlike the other dichloroanilines, this isomer earns its living in pharmaceutical synthesis. Its outlets are narrower, higher-value and considerably more documentation-sensitive.
Diclofenac
The best-known outlet. The 2,6-dichlorophenylamino group at the heart of diclofenac is this molecule, carried in through an N-arylation step. The enforced twist between the two rings — imposed by the ortho chlorines — is essential to how the finished anti-inflammatory binds.
- N-arylation to the diphenylamine core
- Isomeric aniline shows as a related substance
- Pharmacopoeial documentation expectations apply
Clonidine & imidazolines
Condensed onto an imidazoline ring, 2,6-DCA gives clonidine and the related 2,6-dichlorophenyl imidazoline family used in cardiovascular and ophthalmic medicine. Again the hindered geometry is central to the pharmacology, not incidental.
- Imidazoline ring formation
- Small volumes, high specification
- Tight impurity profiling expected
Antibacterial intermediates
A building block in fluoroquinolone and related antibacterial chemistry, where a halogenated aromatic amine is carried into the heterocyclic core and the chlorines influence both potency and metabolic stability.
- Quinolone and heterocyclic routes
- Chlorines retained or displaced as the route requires
- API-chain documentation on request
Agrochemical intermediates
Used where a hindered 2,6-dichlorophenyl fragment is needed on an active — through nitration, acylation or heterocyclic ring building rather than as a precursor to any single high-volume herbicide.
- Anilide and heterocyclic chemistry
- Custom intermediate synthesis
- See our agrochemical intermediate range
Hindered-amine & ligand chemistry
Research and specialty synthesis exploits the same steric crowding deliberately — in bulky amide and urea formation, in N-heterocyclic carbene precursors and in ligand design where access to nitrogen must be controlled.
- Bulky amide and imine formation
- Ligand and catalyst precursor work
- Available in trial and laboratory quantities
Contract & scheduled supply
API production runs to campaign, and validated sources are not switched casually. We contract quantity, hold it and release it against your production calendar rather than landing it all at once.
- Annual contracts with scheduled call-off
- Source continuity protected where you have validated one
- Second source held in reserve
How we supply 2,6-Dichloroaniline
Chelora Chemicals is a supplier and sourcing partner, not a manufacturer. We own no dichloroaniline plant — and for material feeding a regulated API chain, that independence works in your favour. We are never obliged to push you whatever a captive unit happens to be running that month.
Instead we place your order with whichever qualified producer best matches your assay, your impurity limits, your documentation requirements and your delivery window.
One thing we will not do is change your source quietly. If you have validated a producer for an API chain, a substitution is your decision and your regulatory problem, not a procurement convenience. We tell you before anything moves.
- Specification read against the CAS first. We confirm you need 608-31-1 and not one of the other five dichloroaniline isomers before we quote a price.
- Batch COA shared before dispatch. You approve the assay, moisture and impurity profile against your own spec while the material is still in our warehouse.
- Source continuity respected. Where your registration or validation names a producer, we keep you on it and flag well in advance if that becomes impossible.
- Documentation discussed before you order. We confirm up front what the source plant can and cannot issue for your quality file, rather than leaving you to discover it at audit.
- Packing and stowage planned for the melting point. At 36–39 °C this material will fuse on a warm routing. We plan the format and the stowage with you rather than leaving it to chance.
- 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 2,6-DCA alongside other intermediates from our range — one invoice, one shipment, one counterparty.
Packed for a solid that melts at 37 °C
On this product, pack format is not mainly a cost question. A bagged consignment that fuses in transit is a genuine handling problem at the other end — so tell us the routing and the season as well as the quantity.
HDPE & MS drums
The recommended default on this product. A drum holds material that has melted and re-set far better than a bag does, and it can be warmed and decanted as a liquid if your process allows.
Multi-wall bags with liner
Economical for short, cool routings and for plants charging small batch quantities by hand. Less suitable where the consignment will cross a warm climate zone.
Stowage & routing planning
Ventilated stowage, away from the sun-facing wall, and reefer or temperature-controlled transport where your process cannot tolerate a fused consignment. Quoted on request.
Samples & trial packs
Laboratory samples and pilot quantities dispatched by courier so your R&D or analytical team can qualify the grade before committing to campaign volume.
Incoterms to suit you
Quoted on the Incoterm your purchasing team works to. Ocean, air and road freight arranged end-to-end with documentation filed before booking.
Campaign despatch
API production runs to campaign. We hold contracted quantity and release it against your production calendar instead of landing it all at once.
Handle this as a toxic, absorbable amine
2,6-DCA is not a benign solid. It is acutely toxic by all three routes, readily absorbed through intact skin, a skin sensitiser, carries an organ-toxicity entry for repeated exposure, and is very toxic to aquatic life. The low melting point compounds all of this: a material that softens at hand temperature wets skin and gloves far more readily than a hard crystalline solid. The summary below is orientation only — the safety data sheet supplied with your consignment is the authoritative document.
Classified hazards
H301Toxic if swallowed.H311Toxic in contact with skin.H331Toxic if inhaled.H317May cause an allergic skin reaction.H373May cause organ damage through prolonged or repeated exposure.H410Very toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects.
Hazard statements reflect the GHS classification commonly published for CAS 608-31-1. Supplier classifications may differ in detail; always read the SDS issued with your specific batch.
Spill & emergency orientation
Plan your response before the drum arrives, not after it 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.
- Plan for a melt, not just a spill. Above about 37 °C this is a liquid. A warm-weather leak spreads and penetrates like a solvent spill, so bunding and absorbent must be sized for that, not for a bag of powder.
- Contain, do not hose. The material is very toxic to aquatic life. Collect it mechanically or with inert absorbent into a labelled container; never wash it to a drain.
- Assume skin absorption. Contaminated clothing is a continuing exposure route — remove it immediately and wash the skin thoroughly.
- Take sensitisation seriously. H317 means a worker who reacts once may react far more strongly next time. Log skin exposures rather than treating them as routine.
- Have the SDS with the casualty. Chloroanilines can cause methaemoglobinaemia, and the treating clinician needs the product identity and CAS number in hand.
Storage
- Store below 30 °C — and mean it. This is not the usual boilerplate. With a melting point around 37 °C, an unventilated warehouse in a hot climate will liquefy the contents of every container you hold.
- Cool, dry, dark and tightly closed. Air and light drive the colour drift typical of anilines, and an open container also picks up moisture.
- Segregate from oxidising agents, strong acids and acid chlorides. As a primary aromatic amine it reacts exothermically with acylating and oxidising reagents.
- Bunded, sealed-floor storage sized for a liquid release rather than a solid one, given the melting behaviour.
- Shelf life is typically 12–24 months in sealed original packing under these conditions. Re-assay before use after long storage, particularly after a heat excursion.
Handling & PPE
- Skin protection is the priority. Chloroanilines are absorbed through intact skin, and a low-melting solid softens on contact — chemical-resistant gloves and coveralls, not splash protection, with breakthrough data checked for the liquid as well as the solid.
- Engineering controls first. Charge under local exhaust ventilation or in a closed transfer system; the faint odour gives no useful warning of exposure.
- Respiratory protection where dust or vapour may be generated, per your own exposure assessment.
- Warming drums is a controlled operation. If you melt the contents to decant, do it with a temperature-controlled jacket or warm room, never a direct flame or unregulated heater, and keep the headspace closed.
- Never discharge to drain or watercourse. H410 applies — collect spills and dispose of them as regulated chemical waste.
Transport
2,6-DCA moves as regulated cargo. We classify each consignment, apply UN-approved packaging and labelling, and file the dangerous-goods declaration before the booking is made. The applicable UN number, class and packing group 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 chemical shipment is only as good as the file that travels with it — and on material feeding an API chain, the file is half the purchase.
Certificate of Analysis
Batch-specific assay by GC, moisture by Karl Fischer, appearance, melting range and impurity profile — checked against your purchase specification before we release the goods.
Impurity profile on request
Where your API registration needs isomeric anilines, metals or residual solvents quantified rather than left as "balance", we arrange for them to be reported on the certificate.
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.
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.
Why the twist is the product
Most anilines are bought for what their nitrogen will react with. This one is bought for the shape it imposes afterwards. Understanding that difference explains why the isomer specification on this product is not negotiable. The routes below are the general industrial pattern, not a process disclosure.
Start with the hindered aniline
Chlorine on both carbons flanking the amine crowds the nitrogen from either side. Anything attached to that nitrogen is forced out of the plane of the ring and stays there.
Arylate or condense
Because diazotisation is difficult on a hindered amine, the usual move is N-arylation onto a second aromatic ring, or condensation onto a heterocyclic partner.
Build the active
The diphenylamine or imidazoline framework is elaborated — carboxylation, ring closure, salt formation — into the finished drug substance.
Purify to pharmacopoeial grade
The active is crystallised and dried to a specification in which any related substance traceable to this feed has to be identified and controlled, not merely minimised.
Why feed quality carries through the whole route
In a regulated chain, an impurity is not simply a yield loss — it is something you have to identify, control and justify. That raises the stakes on everything in the feed:
- Isomeric dichloroanilines react in parallel and give structurally similar products that are difficult to separate and awkward to explain in an impurity profile. On an API route this is the specification that matters most.
- Monochlorinated and trichlorinated anilines from imperfect upstream chlorination carry through as related substances with their own analytical identity.
- Residual water destroys acid chlorides and other moisture-sensitive reagents, wasting expensive material and generating acid in the batch.
- Oxidation products from air exposure during storage carry colour into the intermediate and, in a registered product, have to be accounted for rather than ignored.
That chain of consequences is the reason we quote against your written specification rather than a generic "99% technical" grade, and the reason the batch COA is shared for approval before dispatch rather than sent with the invoice.
| Isomer | Melting point & principal outlet |
|---|---|
| 2,6-Dichloroaniline CAS 608-31-1 — this product | ≈ 36 – 39 °C Pharmaceutical actives |
| 2,5-Dichloroaniline CAS 95-82-9 | ≈ 47 – 50 °C Azo pigments and dyes |
| 2,4-Dichloroaniline CAS 554-00-7 | ≈ 59 – 62 °C Azo colours, urea chemistry |
| 3,4-Dichloroaniline CAS 95-76-1 | ≈ 69 – 71 °C Diuron, linuron, propanil |
Melting point is the quickest practical check that the drum in front of you holds the isomer you ordered — and on this one, material that is already soft at room temperature is a useful tell. We supply all four; see the full intermediate range.
What actually moves the price of this intermediate
2,6-DCA 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.
Specification tier
The gap between a general technical grade and a properly profiled API-chain grade is wider on this product than on any other dichloroaniline. Two offers quoting the same assay can be genuinely different materials.
- Compare impurity profiles, not headline assay
- Ask what the balance actually consists of
- We state which grade we are quoting
Narrow producer base
The 2,6 isomer is made deliberately from 2,6-dichloronitrobenzene rather than falling out of a general chlorination, so fewer plants make it and a single turnaround moves availability noticeably.
- Qualify a second source before you need it
- Lead times stretch faster than on commodities
- Ask us about dual-source contracts
Upstream feedstock
The route back runs through chlorinated benzenes, nitration and a hydrogenation step. Movements in benzene, chlorine, nitric acid and hydrogen feed through within a quarter or so, with catalyst cost on top.
- Nitration and hydrogen set the floor
- Isomer separation adds cost over simpler grades
- We flag feedstock-driven moves in the quote
API campaign timing
Drug substance campaigns are scheduled months ahead and so is the intermediate that feeds them. Late enquiries compete for the same limited capacity as everyone else's late enquiries.
- Quote early for campaign quantity
- Spot buying costs materially more
- Contracted call-off smooths the exposure
Temperature-controlled logistics
Where your process cannot accept fused material, ventilated stowage or temperature control adds real cost to the landed price. It is cheaper to budget for it than to discover it on arrival.
- Season and routing change the quote
- Drummed packing mitigates much of the risk
- Tell us the destination climate, not just the port
Freight & DG surcharges
This is regulated cargo, so ocean freight carries a hazardous surcharge and 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
| If your end use is… | Specify |
|---|---|
| Diclofenac chain | High assay, isomeric anilines quantified, metals and residual solvents reported |
| Clonidine / imidazolines | As above, with a tight related-substance profile |
| Antibacterial intermediates | High assay; controlled moisture for the coupling step |
| Agrochemical intermediates | High assay with moisture controlled; colour less critical |
| Laboratory / R&D | Small pack, highest available 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 documentation. Where your quality system needs particular declarations from the source plant, we confirm before you order what can and cannot be issued, rather than leaving it to be discovered at audit.
- Plan the logistics around the melting point. Season, routing, stowage and pack format all get discussed on this product, because a fused consignment is a real handling problem and a predictable 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
- Source continuity in a registered chain. If your filing names or implies a particular intermediate source, tell us at the outset — it changes how we handle second-sourcing on your account, and it is far cheaper to plan than to remediate.
- Import controls vary by destination. Chlorinated anilines attract registration, licensing or end-use declaration requirements in some jurisdictions. 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.
- Environmental classification. With a very-toxic-to-aquatic-life entry, discharge consents and waste routing should be settled before the first delivery rather than after an incident.
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 and complete documentation to work from.
From enquiry to delivered drum
Send the specification
Product name or CAS 608-31-1, the assay and impurity limits you work to, quantity, pack preference, destination port and season.
Receive a firm quote
Pricing, grade, 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, stowage agreed, freight booked, export documents issued, and the consignment tracked through transit and clearance to your plant.
What buyers ask us about 2,6-Dichloroaniline
The drum arrived liquid or semi-solid. Is the batch ruined?
Can I substitute another dichloroaniline isomer?
What purity do you normally supply?
Why is diazotisation harder on this isomer?
What is the minimum order quantity?
How long does delivery take?
Can you supply against an API-chain specification?
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 2,6-Dichloroaniline
Send your required assay, impurity limits, quantity, pack format and destination port. Our sourcing desk is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and comes back with pricing, grade, lead time and packing options — whether that is a single trial pack or a contracted drum programme for the campaign.