2,3,4-Trifluoroaniline
2,3,4-Trifluoroaniline is a tri-substituted fluoroaniline that carries three fluorine atoms locked into a single contiguous pattern around the ring. That density of fluorine is exactly what makes it valuable: it is a core building block for fluoroquinolone-type antibacterial intermediates, for polyfluorinated agrochemicals, and for specialty liquid-crystal and electronic-material chemistry where a precisely placed fluorine pattern is the whole point of the molecule.
Chelora Chemicals supplies 2,3,4-trifluoroaniline to pharmaceutical intermediate manufacturers, agrochemical formulators and fine chemical houses worldwide, in drums and container quantities, with a batch COA and GHS safety data sheet on every consignment.
Product identity
- CAS Number
- 3862-73-5
- IUPAC name
- 2,3,4-Trifluoroaniline
- Molecular formula
- C6H4F3N
- Molecular weight
- 147.10 g/mol
- EC / EINECS
- 407-170-9
- MDL number
- MFCD00011737
- SMILES
- Nc1ccc(F)c(F)c1F
- HS Code
- 2921 42*
* Confirm the exact HS heading with your customs broker — classification of fluorinated aniline derivatives varies between destination tariffs.
What 2,3,4-Trifluoroaniline is used for
2,3,4-Trifluoroaniline is an aniline carrying three fluorine atoms in a contiguous 2,3,4-pattern around the ring. Three fluorines in one molecule is not a minor variation on a chloroaniline — each fluorine pulls electron density from the ring, changes the acidity of the amine, and leaves three separate handles for further chemistry (direct N-functionalisation, halogen-directed metalation, or nucleophilic aromatic substitution at an activated position). That combination is why polyfluorinated anilines like this one sit almost exclusively in high-value pharmaceutical and agrochemical synthesis rather than in bulk commodity chemistry.
In practice this material is a fine-chemical intermediate, not a finished product: manufacturers buy it to build the core of a fluoroquinolone-type molecule, to carry the fluorine pattern into a crop-protection active, or to feed further cross-coupling and halogen-exchange chemistry in custom synthesis.
Why the fluorine pattern matters
Trifluoroaniline is not one molecule — it is a family of regioisomers, and the pattern you specify determines both the electronics of the ring and the geometry available for any downstream ring-closure:
- 2,3,4-Trifluoroaniline (CAS 3862-73-5) — this product. Three contiguous fluorines with the amine flanked on one side; the pattern most often called for in fluoroquinolone-type intermediate chemistry.
- 2,4,5-Trifluoroaniline (CAS 367-34-2) — a different contiguous arrangement, used across its own agrochemical and pharmaceutical routes.
- 2,4,6-Trifluoroaniline — fluorines symmetric around the amine, a distinct electronic profile again.
- 3,4,5-Trifluoroaniline — fluorines clustered away from the amine, favoured in some specialty synthesis routes.
If your purchase order simply says "trifluoroaniline", quote us the CAS number and we will confirm the correct isomer before the order is placed — a mismatched pattern is not recoverable once it is built into a downstream molecule. We also supply the mono- and di-fluorinated anilines this family is built from; see ortho fluoroaniline and para fluoroaniline, and ask us about the difluoroaniline grades from our wider fluoroaniline range.
Appearance and handling character
2,3,4-Trifluoroaniline ships as a colourless to pale yellow liquid with a melting point of only 14–15 °C — close enough to ordinary ambient temperature that a drum can arrive part-crystallised after a cold transit or a winter warehouse stay. That is the opposite problem to a solid aniline that melts in the tropics, but the fix is the same: warm the drum gently and roll it before opening rather than forcing a frozen plug through a bung. It is sparingly soluble in water and miscible with common organic solvents. Like other primary aromatic amines it darkens gradually on exposure to air and light. Read the safety section below before planning bulk handling — the product carries skin-sensitisation and eye-irritation classifications that should shape your PPE selection from the outset.
| Parameter | Typical value |
|---|---|
| Appearance | Colourless to pale yellow liquid |
| Assay (GC) | 98.0% min |
| Moisture (KF) | 0.5% max |
| Refractive index (n20/D) | 1.484 – 1.488 |
| Total isomeric impurities | 1.5% 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 regioisomer limit or a controlled colour ceiling, send us the specification and we will quote against it rather than against a generic grade.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Physical state | Liquid at ambient |
| Melting point | ≈ 14 – 15 °C |
| Boiling point | ≈ 173.8 °C @ 760 mmHg |
| Boiling point (reduced pressure) | ≈ 92 °C @ 48 mmHg |
| Flash point | ≈ 68 °C |
| Relative density | ≈ 1.39 – 1.40 @ 25 °C |
| Refractive index | n20/D ≈ 1.486 |
| Partition coeff. (log P) | ≈ 1.7 – 1.8 |
| Water solubility | Sparingly soluble |
| Organic solubility | Miscible with alcohols, esters, ketones & aromatic solvents |
| Odour | Faint, amine-like |
Physical constants compiled from public reference data for CAS 3862-73-5 and rounded for readability. Treat them as orientation, not as a specification.
Where our customers put this molecule to work
A polyfluorinated intermediate like this one earns its price through the value of what it becomes, not through the volume it moves. Almost every outlet is a specification-led synthesis programme.
Fluoroquinolone-type intermediates
The trifluorophenyl fragment is a recognisable core in fluoroquinolone-class antibacterial chemistry, where a precisely placed fluorine pattern feeds directly into the finished ring system.
- Regiochemistry decides which ring closure is even possible
- High and consistent assay is expected at this stage of synthesis
- Trial quantities available for route scouting
Polyfluorinated agrochemicals
Modern herbicide and fungicide chemistry increasingly relies on multi-fluorinated aromatic cores for metabolic stability and target-site fit; this pattern supplies that core directly.
- Feeds substituted urea and amide agrochemical routes
- Moisture control matters wherever acylation follows
- See our agrochemical intermediate range
Liquid-crystal & electronic materials
Fluorinated aromatic building blocks with this level of substitution are used in specialty liquid-crystal and electronic-material synthesis, where the fluorine pattern itself sets the physical properties of the finished material.
- Precise regiochemistry is the specification, not an extra
- Low colour and high assay are usually both required
- Available in laboratory-scale trial packs
Pharmaceutical intermediates
Beyond the fluoroquinolone route, a trifluorophenyl fragment appears across several drug discovery programmes where fluorine substitution is used to tune metabolic stability, lipophilicity and target binding.
- Amide, sulfonamide and urea formation from the amine
- Heterocyclic ring construction using the activated ring
- See also ortho fluoroaniline
Fine & specialty synthesis
A well-characterised polyfluorinated building block for custom amides, ureas and cross-coupling substrates, where the fluorines themselves can be a handle for later halogen-exchange or metal-catalysed chemistry.
- Custom amide and urea formation
- Fluorine retained for later selective substitution
- Available in trial and laboratory quantities
Contract & scheduled supply
API and agrochemical intermediate manufacturers run to a validated synthesis campaign, not to a calendar month. We hold contracted tonnage and release it against your production plan rather than in one shipment.
- Annual contracts with scheduled call-off
- Price held across the contract period
- Second source held in reserve
How we supply 2,3,4-Trifluoroaniline
Chelora Chemicals is a supplier and sourcing partner, not a manufacturer. We own no fluorination plant — and for a regiochemistry-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 isomer purity, your assay, your price point and your delivery window.
We keep a second qualified source on this line. Polyfluorinated intermediates come from a small pool of specialist producers, so when one plant runs a maintenance turnaround, your campaign switches source rather than stalling.
- Specification read against the CAS first. We confirm you need 3862-73-5 and not the 2,4,5-, 2,4,6- or 3,4,5-trifluoroaniline pattern 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. Skin-sensitisation and eye-irritation classifications are stated 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 only a few degrees above a cool warehouse, pack format and stowage matter on a winter 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 intermediate alongside other anilines from our range — one invoice, one shipment, one counterparty.
Packed the way your plant receives it
As a liquid intermediate with a melting point close to ambient, pack format and stowage decide whether your drum arrives ready to pour or needs warming first. Tell us how it will be charged at your end and we will quote the format that suits your operation.
Lined steel or HDPE drums
UN-certified drums with an inert liner, the default format for a liquid amine of this value. Protects against moisture pick-up and colour drift across long transits.
Samples & trial packs
Laboratory samples and pilot quantities in glass or lined-steel containers, dispatched by courier so your R&D team can validate the regiochemistry before committing to volume.
Intermediate bulk containers
Stackable IBCs with an inert liner for high-volume users with mechanical charging. Fewer container movements and lower packing cost per kilo than drummed material.
Insulated & heated container options
For winter shipments to colder destinations we can arrange insulated stowage or pre-warming so the drum arrives at, or close to, pourable condition rather than part-crystallised.
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
Pharmaceutical and agrochemical intermediate synthesis runs to campaign. We hold contracted tonnage and release it against your production calendar instead of landing it all at once.
Handle it as a skin-sensitising aromatic amine
Reference data for CAS 3862-73-5 records skin-sensitisation and serious-eye-irritation classifications, and as with any primary aromatic amine, skin absorption should be assumed rather than ruled out. 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
H317May cause an allergic skin reaction.H319Causes serious eye irritation.
Hazard statements reflect the classification most commonly published for CAS 3862-73-5. Supplier classifications may differ in detail, and — as with every primary aromatic amine — we treat skin absorption as a working assumption even where a specific hazard statement is not listed. 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.
- Contain, do not hose. Bund the spill and collect the liquid mechanically into a labelled container; never wash it to a drain or watercourse.
- Suppress vapour. The flash point sits well above ambient, but a large spill in a warm space still generates vapour — ventilate the area and use appropriate absorbents in line with the SDS.
- Assume skin absorption. Contaminated clothing is a continuing exposure route — remove it immediately and wash the skin thoroughly.
- Have the SDS with the casualty. Chloro- and fluoroanilines are associated with methaemoglobinaemia as a class effect, and the treating clinician needs the product identity and CAS number in hand.
- Record the exposure. For a skin-sensitising amine, most occupational regimes expect a sensitisation record to be created and retained where a reaction occurs.
Storage
- Cool, dry, well-ventilated store, away from direct sunlight and heat sources. With a melting point only around 14–15 °C, an unheated store in a cold climate can cause part-crystallisation in the drum — warm gently before opening.
- Keep containers tightly closed. Air and light drive the buff-to-brown colour drift typical of anilines, and an open drum 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.
- Access-controlled storage. Skin sensitisers merit the same restricted-access discipline as any classified hazard, even short of a carcinogen listing.
- Shelf life is typically 12–18 months in sealed original packing under these conditions. Re-assay before use after long storage.
Handling & PPE
- Skin protection is the priority. Chemical-resistant gloves and coveralls are the baseline, not splash protection alone — treat skin contact as an exposure route by default, sensitisation risk aside.
- Eye protection is non-negotiable. H319 applies; goggles or a face shield for any operation with splash potential, particularly drum sampling and transfer.
- Respiratory protection where vapour may accumulate — closed or bunded areas, warm climates, or when warming a part-crystallised drum before use.
- Design exposure out where you can. Closed transfer and mechanical charging reduce both skin and eye contact more reliably than PPE alone.
- Never discharge to drain or watercourse. Collect spills and residues as regulated chemical waste.
Transport
This material moves as regulated cargo under the generic "fluoroanilines" transport entry (UN 2941). We classify each consignment, apply UN-approved packaging and labelling, and file the dangerous-goods declaration before the booking is made. The applicable 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 regiochemistry-sensitive intermediate 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 isomeric/regiochemical purity — 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.
The two routes out of this aniline
Most value built on this molecule leaves by one of two doors: functionalising the amine directly, or using the fluorines themselves as a handle. Understanding which one your route 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 aniline
The 2,3,4-trifluoro pattern deactivates the ring toward electrophilic attack while leaving three fluorines available as separate downstream handles.
Door one — functionalise the amine
Amide, sulfonamide or urea formation at the nitrogen builds the amine directly into a pharmaceutical or agrochemical intermediate.
Door two — work the fluorines
Selective nucleophilic aromatic substitution or halogen exchange at an activated fluorine position opens routes to further fluorinated derivatives and cross-coupling substrates.
Finish to grade
The crude product is purified and standardised to whatever the end market demands — a specific regioisomer limit, a colour ceiling or a pharmaceutical-grade impurity profile.
Why regiochemistry carries through the whole route
Both doors act on a ring whose electronics depend entirely on where the fluorines sit. Anything in the feed that carries a different fluorine pattern, or that competes for the same nitrogen, follows the material down the line:
- Regioisomeric trifluoroanilines react in parallel through the same chemistry and give structurally similar but functionally different products — a ring-closure that simply will not form in a fluoroquinolone route, or an off-target agrochemical structure.
- Residual water is tolerable in some amine chemistry but can hydrolyse acid chlorides and isocyanates used further down an acylation route, wasting reagent.
- Oxidation products — the coloured species responsible for the buff-to-brown drift — show as colour in an otherwise near-colourless liquid and can carry through into a finished intermediate.
- Di- and mono-fluorinated carryover from an incomplete fluorination step concentrates in the still bottoms and reduces the number of clean passes available 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-Trifluoroaniline CAS 3862-73-5 — this product | Fluoroquinolone-type intermediates Polyfluorinated agrochemicals Liquid-crystal materials |
| Ortho Fluoroaniline CAS 348-54-9 | Azo dyes & pigments Isocyanate route agrochemicals Pharma intermediates |
| Para Fluoroaniline CAS 371-40-4 | Pharmaceutical intermediates Fluorinated actives |
If your route calls for one of the others, we supply those as well — see ortho fluoroaniline and para fluoroaniline. Send the CAS number and we will confirm the correct material before quoting.
What actually moves the price of this intermediate
This 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.
Narrow producer base
Selective, controlled fluorination is technically demanding, and only a small number of plants run it at commercial scale. That concentration shows up directly in price and lead time versus a chlorinated equivalent.
- Quote early for campaign tonnage
- Spot buying against a capacity gap costs materially more
- Contracted call-off smooths the exposure
Fluorinating agent cost
The route back to a trifluoroaniline typically runs through fluorinating agents and hydrogen-fluoride chemistry, both of which are more volatile in cost than chlorine feedstock. Movements there feed through within a quarter or so.
- Fluorinating-agent cost sets much of the floor
- Energy cost weighs on distillation and purification
- We flag feedstock-driven moves in the quote
Regiopurity premium
Separating one contiguous fluorine pattern from another isomer that forms alongside it in synthesis is not trivial, and a tight regioisomer limit carries a real cost premium over a generic technical grade.
- Tighter isomer limits cost more and take longer
- Confirm whether your route actually needs the tighter limit
- We check this with you before quoting the premium grade
Pack format
Cost per kilo falls from small drums to IBC-scale liquid packaging at volume, and cold-climate stowage options add a modest premium that is usually cheaper than a re-warming delay at your dock.
- Small drums carry the highest packing cost
- IBCs are cheapest per kilo at volume
- Cold-climate options avoid part-crystallised deliveries
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
Source availability
A plant turnaround or a regulatory inspection at one of the small number of fluorination specialists 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-type intermediates | High assay with a tight regioisomer limit |
| Polyfluorinated agrochemicals | Standard technical assay; moisture the critical parameter |
| Liquid-crystal / electronic materials | High assay with low colour and tight isomer limit |
| Fine & custom synthesis | Standard technical grade, full analytical pack |
| 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 regioisomer limit would add nothing.
- Be straight about the hazard profile. We state the sensitisation and eye-irritation classifications at enquiry stage so your EHS team can price the controls into the decision, rather than meeting them for the first time on the label.
- Advise on handling and storage for your site conditions — a drum store in a cold climate is a different problem from one in the tropics, especially for a liquid that can part-crystallise at 14–15 °C.
- 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
- Sensitiser handling obligations are jurisdiction-specific. Several regimes impose exposure monitoring, health surveillance or record-keeping expectations for skin-sensitising substances. 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 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.
- Downstream use restrictions can apply to certain pharmaceutical precursor categories. Your regulatory team should confirm the finished-product 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 drum
Send the specification
Product name or CAS 3862-73-5, the assay and regioisomer 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 and chlorinated anilines our pharmaceutical, agrochemical and fine chemical customers most often order in the same programme.
What buyers ask us about 2,3,4-Trifluoroaniline
What hazards does this material carry?
Can I use a different trifluoroaniline isomer instead?
What purity do you normally supply?
What is the minimum order quantity?
How long does delivery take?
The drum arrived part-crystallised. Is it off-spec?
Why does the liquid darken in storage?
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-Trifluoroaniline
Send your required assay, regioisomer limit, 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 drum or a contracted container programme for the year.