Hexachlorocyclohexane
Hexachlorocyclohexane is the name of various isomeric chemical compounds from the group of halogenated hydrocarbons.
Overview
The most common compound is γ -hexachlorocyclohexane, which is used as an insecticide and is better known under the name of lindane. The other isomeric chemical compounds are α -hexachlorocyclohexane, β -hexachlorocyclohexane and δ -hexachlorocyclohexane. There are also small in quantity nor ε -hexachlorocyclohexane. The η -, θ - and ζ - isomers were synthesized in the laboratory. Since the earlier of the production process ( from benzene, which is chlorinated under UV radiation, five of the eight possible isomers arise ) with existing and yielded alpha, beta, delta and epsilon isomers as taste -changing, toxic, as insecticide less effective and harder still proved degradable than the also not unproblematic gamma structure (which is included in the technical hexachlorocyclohexane only 9-18 %), later only a single isomer gamma -hexachlorocyclohexane was used as stomach and contact poison. Lindane ( hexachlorocyclohexane so ) was first produced in 1825 by Michael Faraday. In the thermal decomposition form, among others, phosgene and hydrogen chloride. α -hexachlorocyclohexane which is the only 1,2,3,4,5,6 -hexachlorocyclohexane in two enantiomeric forms: α -( ) - α - hexachlorocyclohexane and (-) -hexachlorocyclohexane. In the insecticide you find the preparation, α -hexachlorocyclohexane as a racemate [ 1:1 mixture of α -( ) - α - HCH and (-)- HCH ]. In the liver of wild deer was found, however, mainly α -(-) - HCH, the degradation rate of α -( ) -HCH is significantly higher than that of α -(-) -HCH. The reduction is thus enantioselective.