Chloromethane

Chloromethane, or methyl chloride, is a colorless, flammable gas with formula CH₃Cl. It occurs naturally and is used chiefly as a chemical feedstock and refrigerant.

Molecular geometry: The three-dimensional arrangement of atoms in a molecule. Chloromethane’s tetrahedral carbon geometry helps explain its bond angles and polarity.
Silicone: A family of polymers with silicon–oxygen backbones and organic side groups. Chloromethane supplies methyl groups in the industrial production of methylchlorosilanes, silicone precursors.
Biomass burning: The combustion of living or recently living plant material, naturally or through human activity. Fires release chloromethane formed from chlorine-containing compounds in vegetation.
Atmospheric chemistry: The study of chemical composition and reactions in Earth’s atmosphere. Chloromethane’s atmospheric lifetime and reactions determine where its chlorine affects ozone.
Dipole moment: A measure of the separation of positive and negative charge in a molecule. The polar carbon–chlorine bond gives chloromethane a nonzero dipole moment.
Direct process: An industrial reaction of methyl chloride with silicon that produces methylchlorosilanes. This process consumes chloromethane on a large scale to make silicone intermediates.
Marine algae: Photosynthetic organisms, including seaweeds and microscopic algae, that live in marine environments. Marine organisms produce chloromethane and contribute substantially to natural atmospheric emissions.
Hydroxyl radical: A highly reactive atmospheric radical, OH, that initiates the breakdown of many gases. Reaction with hydroxyl radicals is a major sink for chloromethane in the lower atmosphere.
Nucleophilic substitution: A reaction in which a nucleophile replaces a leaving group on an electrophilic atom. Chloromethane undergoes substitution when nucleophiles displace its chloride group.
Methylchlorosilane: A silicon compound bearing methyl and chlorine substituents, used as an intermediate in silicone production. Methylchlorosilanes are the immediate products of chloromethane’s reaction with silicon.

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