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In Situ Production of Phosgene: Utilization in Urea Synthesis
Dan-Ting Wei1, Bin-Xuan Zou1, Li-Gang Kou1
1Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Natural Functional Molecule Chemistry of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry & Materials Science, School of Foreign Languages, Northwest University; Xi'an 710127, China.
The Journal of Organic Chemistry
|June 28, 2026
Summary
Researchers developed a safer method to produce phosgene using iron catalysis and carbon tetrachloride. This innovation simplifies the synthesis of ureas, which are vital in pharmaceuticals and materials science.
Area of Science:
- Organic Chemistry
- Catalysis
- Green Chemistry
Background:
- Phosgene is a key industrial chemical for synthesizing polymers, agrochemicals, and pharmaceuticals.
- Traditional phosgene production and handling pose significant safety risks.
- Ureas are important compounds with applications in medicine and materials science.
Purpose of the Study:
- To report a mild and safe in situ method for phosgene generation.
- To demonstrate the application of this method in synthesizing various ureas.
- To offer a safer alternative to hazardous phosgene in chemical synthesis.
Main Methods:
- Iron-catalyzed conversion of carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) to phosgene in situ.
- Utilizing Fe(acac)3 as the catalyst.
- Synthesis of diverse urea compounds using the generated phosgene.
Main Results:
- Successful in situ generation of phosgene under mild conditions.
- Efficient synthesis of various ureas.
- Fe(acac)3/CCl4 system demonstrated improved safety and operational ease compared to using phosgene directly.
Conclusions:
- The iron-catalyzed CCl4 to phosgene conversion is a convenient and adaptable synthetic approach.
- This method offers significant safety advantages for academic and industrial applications.
- The in situ phosgene generation facilitates the synthesis of important urea derivatives.
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