2,6-Difluoro Benzonitrile
2,6-Difluoro Benzonitrile pairs two fluorines flanking a nitrile on a single benzene ring — a compact, symmetrical building block that has become a workhorse in pharmaceutical intermediate synthesis, agrochemical active ingredient chemistry and fine chemical / specialty synthesis wherever an ortho-difluorinated aryl nitrile is required.
Chelora Chemicals supplies this grade to pharma intermediate manufacturers, crop protection formulators and custom synthesis houses worldwide, in bottles, drums and bulk quantities, with a batch COA and GHS safety data sheet on every consignment.
Product identity
- CAS Number
- 1897-52-5
- IUPAC name
- 2,6-Difluorobenzonitrile
- Molecular formula
- C7H3F2N
- Molecular weight
- 139.10 g/mol
- EC / EINECS
- 217-589-7
- MDL number
- MFCD00001778
- SMILES
- N#Cc1c(F)cccc1F
- HS Code
- 2926 90*
* Confirm the exact HS heading with your customs broker — classification of fluorinated benzonitriles varies between destination tariffs.
What 2,6-Difluoro Benzonitrile is used for
2,6-Difluoro Benzonitrile is a benzonitrile carrying fluorine on both carbons flanking the nitrile group. That symmetrical ortho,ortho'-difluoro pattern does two useful things at once: it activates the ring toward nucleophilic aromatic substitution and directed ortho-metalation, while the electron-withdrawing nitrile itself is a ready handle for conversion to amidines, tetrazoles, carboxylic acids, amidoximes and aminomethyl groups. The result is a versatile, well-behaved intermediate that turns up across colour-free synthetic chemistry — pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals and fine chemicals alike.
In practice this molecule is bought as a captive building block: plants use it to construct heterocyclic pharmacophores, to build fluorinated pyrazole and triazole agrochemical actives, or as a Grignard/organometallic substrate where the two flanking fluorines both activate and sterically define the ring for selective functionalisation.
Why the substitution pattern matters
Fluorobenzonitrile isomers behave differently in downstream chemistry, and a mismatched isomer is rarely recoverable once it enters a synthesis:
- 2,6-Difluorobenzonitrile (CAS 1897-52-5) — this product. Both fluorines ortho to the nitrile; symmetrical, and the pattern most often called for in heterocycle-forming chemistry.
- 2-Fluorobenzonitrile / 4-Fluorobenzonitrile — mono-fluorinated isomers with a single activation point and a different reactivity profile at the ring.
- 2,6-Dichlorobenzonitrile — the chlorinated analogue, used where a chlorine rather than a fluorine leaving group or steric footprint is required.
If your purchase order simply says "difluorobenzonitrile" or "fluoro benzonitrile", quote us the CAS number and we will confirm the correct material before the order is placed. We source the related mono-fluoro and chloro-substituted benzonitrile grades as well through our wider fluorinated aromatic intermediate range — ask our technical desk for the current list.
Appearance and handling character
Commercial material ships as a white to pale yellow low-melting solid, powder, lump or clear liquid depending on ambient temperature and grade — the melting point sits close to room temperature, so material can arrive as either a solid cake or a mobile liquid without being off-spec. It carries a faint, almond-like odour typical of aromatic nitriles, is soluble in common organic solvents such as acetone and dichloromethane, and has low water solubility. It is combustible and should be treated as an irritant on contact — read the safety section below before planning bulk handling.
| Parameter | Typical value |
|---|---|
| Appearance | White or colourless to light yellow powder / lump / liquid |
| Assay (GC/HPLC) | 98.0–99.0% min |
| Moisture (KF) | 0.5% max |
| Melting range | 25 – 32 °C |
| Related substances | Reported per batch |
| Residue on ignition | Reported per batch |
Important: the figures above are indicative of commercial grade material and reflect the range seen across suppliers of CAS 1897-52-5. The batch certificate of analysis is the governing document. If your process demands a tighter assay, a specific colour or moisture ceiling, send us your specification and we will quote against it rather than against a generic grade.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Physical state | Low-melting solid / liquid near ambient |
| Melting point | ≈ 28 – 32 °C |
| Boiling point | ≈ 197 – 198 °C |
| Flash point | ≈ 80 °C |
| Relative density | ≈ 1.246 |
| Refractive index | ≈ 1.4875 |
| Water solubility | Low; sparingly soluble |
| Organic solubility | Soluble in acetone, dichloromethane & other common organic solvents |
| Odour | Faint, almond-like |
Physical constants compiled from public reference and supplier specification data for CAS 1897-52-5 and rounded for readability. Treat them as orientation, not as a specification.
Where our customers put this molecule to work
2,6-Difluoro Benzonitrile is a general-purpose building block rather than a single-outlet one. Demand is spread across pharmaceutical, agrochemical and fine chemical synthesis.
Pharmaceutical intermediates
The nitrile is a direct precursor to amidines, tetrazoles and aminomethyl groups widely used in heterocyclic drug scaffolds, while the two flanking fluorines give a defined, symmetrical activation pattern for ring-closing and cross-coupling steps.
- Amidine, tetrazole & carboxylic acid conversion
- Heterocyclic ring construction
- See our pharma intermediate range
Agrochemical actives
Fluorinated pyrazole and triazole fungicide and insecticide chemistries often call for an ortho-difluorinated aryl nitrile as the starting ring. The symmetrical substitution pattern simplifies downstream regiochemistry compared with mono-fluoro analogues.
- Fluorinated heterocyclic active-ingredient synthesis
- Consistent regiochemistry from the symmetrical pattern
- See our agrochemical intermediate range
Fine & specialty synthesis
A well-behaved substrate for nucleophilic aromatic substitution and directed metalation, used across custom amide, amidoxime and heterocycle synthesis where the 2,6-difluoro pattern is specifically required.
- Nucleophilic aromatic substitution chemistry
- Directed ortho-metalation substrate
- Available in trial and laboratory quantities
Material science & liquid crystal chemistry
The polar nitrile combined with a fluorinated ring is a recurring structural motif in functional and liquid-crystal molecule design, where the fluorine substituents fine-tune dielectric and phase behaviour.
- Nitrile-terminated functional molecules
- Fluorine substitution for property tuning
- Custom quantities on request
Analytical & reference standards
High-purity lots are also supplied in small pack sizes as an analytical reference material and process-impurity marker for laboratories qualifying related fluorinated aromatic chemistry.
- High-purity, analytically characterised lots
- Small pack sizes from 25 g
- Full analytical data pack on request
Contract & scheduled supply
Pharma and agrochemical process teams commonly 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 2,6-Difluoro Benzonitrile
Chelora Chemicals is a supplier and sourcing partner, not a manufacturer. We own no fluorination plant — and for a purity-sensitive intermediate like this one, 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 colour and moisture requirements, your price point and your delivery window.
We keep a second qualified source on this line. When a plant goes down for maintenance, or a shipping lane is disrupted, your programme switches source rather than stalling.
- Specification read against the CAS first. We confirm you need 1897-52-5 and not a mono-fluoro or chloro-substituted benzonitrile before we quote a price.
- Batch COA shared before dispatch. You approve the assay, moisture and colour profile against your own spec while the material is still in our warehouse.
- Hazard status stated up front. This material is classified as harmful and irritant, 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.
- Packing chosen for your climate. With a melting point close to ambient, pack format and stowage matter on a warm routing. We plan both with you.
- 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 this benzonitrile alongside other intermediates from our range — one invoice, one shipment, one counterparty.
Packed the way your lab or plant receives it
Pack format drives your landed cost and your handling effort — and because this material can arrive as either a solid or a low-melting liquid, format and stowage also decide how clean the unpacking is. Tell us how it will be charged at your end and we will quote the format that suits your operation.
Amber glass bottles
Light-protective, sealed glass bottles for laboratory and pilot quantities — protects the material from light-driven degradation during storage and transit.
Fibre & HDPE drums with liner
UN-certified drums with an inner liner for commercial-scale orders. Handles the near-ambient melting point without splitting or leaking on a warm transit.
Steel or lined drums, bulk
Larger commercial quantities packed in steel drums with a chemically compatible liner, for process-scale pharma and agrochemical buyers running campaign volumes.
Samples & trial packs
Laboratory samples and pilot quantities dispatched by courier so your R&D 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
Pharma and agrochemical production runs to campaign. We hold contracted tonnage and release it against your production calendar instead of landing it all at once.
Handle this as a classified irritant
2,6-Difluoro Benzonitrile is classified as harmful and irritant across the standard exposure routes, with eye, skin and respiratory irritation potential. It is not in the same hazard category as a classified carcinogen, but it still deserves proper controls. 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 and emergency planning.
Classified hazards
H302Harmful if swallowed.H312Harmful in contact with skin.H315Causes skin irritation.H319Causes serious eye irritation.H332Harmful if inhaled.H335May cause respiratory irritation.
Hazard statements reflect the GHS07 (Warning) classification commonly published for CAS 1897-52-5. Supplier classifications may differ in detail; always read the SDS issued with your specific batch. Transport is UN 3439 (toxic solid, organic, n.o.s.), ADR class 6.1, packing group III, on the routes where this applies.
Spill & emergency orientation
Plan your response before a bottle or drum is opened. 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.
- Contain and collect. Absorb spilled liquid or solid onto an inert material and transfer to a labelled container for disposal; avoid discharge to drains.
- Ventilate the work area. The material carries respiratory irritation potential (H335) — work in a fume hood or well-ventilated space, especially when handling the warm, low-melting solid.
- Avoid skin and eye contact. With H312/H315/H319 all applying, treat any contact seriously — remove contaminated clothing and flush the affected area with water.
- Have the SDS to hand. If ingestion, inhalation or significant skin contact occurs, the treating clinician needs the product identity and CAS number.
- Keep away from ignition sources. The flash point sits around 80 °C — treat as combustible and store away from heat and open flame.
Storage
- Cool, dry, well-ventilated store, away from direct sunlight and heat sources. The melting point is close to ambient, so warehouse temperature control keeps the batch a consistent solid rather than a cake or a free-flowing liquid, whichever you have ordered against.
- Keep containers tightly closed. Limiting air and moisture ingress protects assay and colour over the shelf life.
- Segregate from strong oxidisers and strong bases. As a nitrile it should not be stored alongside reagents that could hydrolyse or oxidise it uncontrollably.
- Store away from ignition sources, given the flash point around 80 °C.
- Shelf life is typically 24 months in sealed original packing under these conditions. Re-assay before use after long storage.
Handling & PPE
- Chemical-resistant gloves and safety glasses as a minimum, given the skin and eye irritation classification.
- Local exhaust ventilation or a fume hood when transferring, weighing or dissolving the material, particularly as a warmed liquid.
- Respiratory protection where dust or vapour may be generated, in line with your own exposure assessment.
- Wash hands and exposed skin after handling, before eating, drinking or smoking.
- Never discharge to drain or watercourse. Collect spills and residues as chemical waste and dispose of them through a licensed waste route.
Transport
This material commonly moves as regulated cargo (UN 3439, class 6.1, packing group III) on many trade lanes. 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 confirmed 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. Verifying what the source plant sends is precisely the work you are buying from a supplier.
Certificate of Analysis
Batch-specific assay by GC or HPLC, moisture by Karl Fischer, appearance, melting range and related-substances 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.
Two handles on one small ring
Almost everything made from this molecule uses one of two handles: the nitrile, or the activated ring itself. Understanding which one your process uses explains why the specification matters and which impurity will hurt you. The routes below are the general industrial pattern, not a process disclosure.
Start with the ring
2,6-Difluoro Benzonitrile provides a symmetrical, doubly-activated aromatic ring with a nitrile at the 1-position, ready for either ring-chemistry or nitrile-chemistry routes.
Route one — the nitrile
Hydrolysis, reduction, or addition of azide or hydroxylamine converts the nitrile to a carboxylic acid, aminomethyl group, tetrazole or amidoxime — common pharmacophore handles.
Route two — the ring
The fluorines, activated by the ortho and para-directing nitrile, undergo nucleophilic aromatic substitution or serve as a substrate for directed ortho-metalation and cross-coupling.
Finish to grade
The crude product is purified by crystallisation or distillation, then standardised to whatever the end market demands — colour target, agro spec or pharmaceutical limit.
Why starting-material quality carries through the whole route
Both routes act on a small, symmetrical molecule. Anything in the feed that competes for the nitrile or the activated ring positions follows the material down the line:
- Isomeric or mono-fluorinated impurities react in parallel and give structurally similar by-products that are difficult to separate once the downstream chemistry is run.
- Residual moisture can interfere with metalation and organometallic steps that depend on strictly anhydrous conditions.
- Colour-forming impurities can carry through crystallisation and show up as colour in an otherwise white or pale finished product.
- Heavy residues concentrate in still bottoms and reduce the number of passes you get from a distillation or crystallisation train.
That chain of consequences is the reason we quote against your written specification rather than a generic technical grade, and the reason the batch COA is shared for approval before dispatch rather than sent with the invoice.
| Intermediate | Principal outlet |
|---|---|
| 2,6-Difluorobenzonitrile CAS 1897-52-5 — this product | Pharma heterocycle synthesis Fluorinated agrochemical actives Fine chemical building block |
| 2-Fluorobenzonitrile / 4-Fluorobenzonitrile | Mono-fluoro cross-coupling chemistry Single-point NAS routes |
| 2,6-Dichlorobenzonitrile | Chlorine-leaving-group chemistry Alternative agro intermediate routes |
If your route calls for one of these related fluoro- or chloro-benzonitriles, we source those as well — see our full fluorinated aromatic intermediate range. Send the CAS number and we will confirm the correct material before quoting.
What actually moves the price of this intermediate
2,6-Difluoro Benzonitrile 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.
Pharma & agro demand cycles
Drug-substance campaigns and crop-protection active-ingredient production pull on the same nitrile at different points in the year, so demand rarely goes flat in the way a single-outlet intermediate does.
- Quote early for campaign tonnage
- Spot buying at peak costs materially more
- Contracted call-off smooths the exposure
Upstream feedstock
The route to this molecule runs through fluorinated benzene precursors and cyanation chemistry. Movements in fluorinating agents and cyanide feedstock costs feed through within a quarter or so.
- Specialty fluorination capacity sets the floor
- Energy cost weighs on purification steps
- We flag feedstock-driven moves in the quote
Regulatory & quality pressure
Pharma-grade buyers often require tighter impurity control, full analytical characterisation and regulatory support files, which adds cost over a technical fine-chemical grade of the same CAS number.
- Grade selection should match your actual end use
- Some markets require extended documentation
- We check destination rules before quoting
Pack format
Cost per kilo falls from small glass bottles to lined drums to bulk quantities — and larger packs also mean fewer handling movements for a material classified as an irritant.
- Small bottles carry the highest packing cost
- Bulk drums are cheapest per kilo at volume
- Less manual handling means less exposure
Freight & DG surcharges
This is regulated cargo on many lanes (UN 3439), so ocean freight can carry a hazardous surcharge. 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 plant turnaround, a fluorination capacity constraint, or a shipping disruption can take supply 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 |
|---|---|
| Pharma intermediate synthesis | High assay, tight related-substances limit, full analytical pack |
| Agrochemical active synthesis | Consistent assay batch-to-batch; moisture controlled |
| Organometallic / metalation routes | Low moisture the critical parameter |
| Fine chemical / custom synthesis | Standard technical grade, cost-optimised |
| 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 bottle
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 harmful/irritant classification at enquiry stage so your EHS team can plan handling before the label arrives on the drum.
- Advise on handling and storage for your site conditions — a material with a near-ambient melting point behaves differently in a Gulf summer than in a cool northern European store.
- 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
- Import controls vary by destination. Some jurisdictions apply registration, licensing or end-use declaration requirements to fluorinated nitrile 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.
- Pharmaceutical starting-material documentation (GMP letters, impurity profiles, regulatory support files) can be arranged for validated supply chains — ask at enquiry stage if your programme requires it.
- Downstream end-use restrictions can apply in certain agrochemical or controlled-substance contexts. Your regulatory team should confirm the position for the end use you have in mind.
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 1897-52-5, the assay and impurity 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 fluorinated aromatics our pharma, agrochemical and fine chemical customers most often order in the same programme. Each links through to our full product listing — get in touch with the specific CAS number and we will confirm current availability.
What buyers ask us about 2,6-Difluoro Benzonitrile
Is this material hazardous?
Can I use a mono-fluorinated benzonitrile instead?
What purity do you normally supply?
What is the minimum order quantity?
How long does delivery take?
The material arrived as a liquid, not a solid. Is it off-spec?
Why does the solid sometimes look slightly yellow?
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 where applicable
- 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-Difluoro Benzonitrile
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 bottle or a contracted drum programme for the year.