Alkyl Ammonium Chloride Salts for Efficient Chlorine Storage at Ambient Conditions

Herein, we report the use of alkyl ammonium chloride salts as safe and sustainable chlorine storage media. The most promising candidate, [NEt3Me]Cl, stores up to 0.79 kg chlorine/kg storage material, is readily prepared, and stable against chlorination for extended times. Chlorine release can be achieved by applying heat or vacuum, or, alternatively, by the addition of water. The combination of these properties emphasizes [NEt3Me]Cl as a suitable storage medium to facilitate the flexibilization of industrial chlorine production. As polychlorides can be used for various chlorination reactions, a combined industrial process is envisaged utilizing [NEt3Me]Cl as the storage medium and the loaded system, [NEt3Me][Cl(Cl2)n] (n = 1.68), as the reagent for industrial chlorinations.