Product Overview

3-Chloropropiophenone, also written β-chloropropiophenone and systematically named 3-chloro-1-phenylpropan-1-one, is a white to pale yellow low-melting crystalline solid supplied under CAS 936-59-4.

The chlorine sits on the terminal carbon of the propyl chain, two positions away from the carbonyl not on the aromatic ring, which distinguishes it from the similarly named 3′-chloropropiophenone used in bupropion chemistry.

Its commercial importance rests on a single fact: it is prochiral.

The ketone carbon carries a phenyl group on one side and a chloroethyl chain on the other, so reducing that carbonyl creates a stereocentre.

Asymmetric reduction gives either (S)- or (R)-3-chloro-1-phenylpropan-1-ol depending on the catalyst chosen, and that chiral chlorohydrin is the branch point from which an entire class of drugs is built.

From there the chemistry is short and convergent.

Displacing the chloride with methylamine or dimethylamine gives the amino alcohol; forming an aryl ether at the benzylic position with a substituted phenol or naphthol completes the molecule.

Change the amine and change the aryl group, and the same three-carbon skeleton delivers fluoxetine, atomoxetine, dapoxetine or nisoxetine the aryloxypropylamine class.

Because the stereochemistry is set at the reduction step rather than carried in from the starting material, the quality attribute that matters for this intermediate is not simply assay.

It is the absence of the specific impurities that poison reduction catalysts or erode enantiomeric excess. That is addressed in its own section below.

We supply the material in a Technical / Non-GMP Grade for process development and non-regulated synthesis, and in a GMP Starting Material Grade produced under ICH Q7 principles for regulated routes.

Every consignment carries a batch Certificate of Analysis and a GHS-format MSDS.

Actiza has over 12 years of B2B pharmaceutical export experience, 500+ global clients and a supply footprint across 40+ countries, backed by WHO-GMP and ISO-certified group manufacturing infrastructure in Gujarat, India.

Key Highlights

Technical / Non-GMP and GMP Starting Material grades available from one source

Assay ≥ 98.0% by GC, verified on every batch

Prochiral building block suited to both biocatalytic (KRED) and chemocatalytic (CBS, Noyori-type) reduction

Mild GHS profile harmful if swallowed only; not corrosive, not toxic by inhalation

Certificate of Analysis (COA) and MSDS supplied with every batch

Temperature-managed packing appropriate to a low-melting solid

12+ years of export experience across 40+ countries

Application in Synthesis

3-Chloropropiophenone has no therapeutic activity of its own.

It is consumed early in the route, and everything downstream depends on how cleanly the first step the asymmetric reduction runs.

The Route, Step by Step

Step	Transformation	Significance
1	Asymmetric reduction of the ketone	Gives (S)- or (R)-3-chloro-1-phenylpropan-1-ol; this is where the stereocentre and the eventual API chirality are set
2	Displacement of the chloride by an amine	Methylamine or dimethylamine gives the corresponding amino alcohol
3	Aryl ether formation at the benzylic position	The choice of phenol or naphthol determines which API results

Both biocatalytic and chemocatalytic approaches to step 1 are established in the literature.

Whole-cell and ketoreductase systems have been reported using immobilised yeast and Candida strains, and oxazaborolidine (CBS-type) catalysts derived from chiral prolinols are used on the chemocatalytic side.

Which route a manufacturer runs is their own process choice; what both have in common is sensitivity to impurities in the ketone.

Downstream Pharmaceutical Applications

Downstream API	Class	What Changes in the Route
Fluoxetine	SSRI antidepressant	Methylamine plus a trifluoromethyl-substituted phenyl ether
Atomoxetine	Selective noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor ADHD	Methylamine plus a methyl-substituted phenyl ether; single enantiomer required
Dapoxetine	Short-acting SSRI	Dimethylamine plus a naphthyl ether
Nisoxetine and related aryloxypropylamines	Reuptake inhibitor class	Same skeleton, different amine and aryl group
(S)- and (R)-3-Chloro-1-phenylpropan-1-ol	Chiral intermediate in its own right	Sold as a standalone article to manufacturers who buy the alcohol rather than the ketone

Industry Segments Served

API manufacturers producing aryloxypropylamine-class antidepressants and ADHD medicines

CDMOs and contract synthesis organisations executing client-owned routes

Chiral intermediate and building-block manufacturers

Biocatalysis houses running ketoreductase-based reductions

Analytical laboratories and impurity reference standard suppliers

Technical Specifications

The parameters below represent our standard commercial specification. Customer-specific specifications can be agreed at enquiry stage.

Parameter	Specification
Chemical Name (IUPAC)	3-Chloro-1-phenylpropan-1-one
Common Synonyms	β-Chloropropiophenone; 3-Chloropropiophenone; 2-Chloroethyl phenyl ketone; 2-Benzoylethyl chloride
CAS Number	936-59-4
MDL Number	MFCD00000990
EC / EINECS Number	Available on request
Molecular Formula	C₉H₉ClO
Molecular Weight	168.62 g/mol
Appearance	White to pale yellow crystalline solid; low melting
Assay / Purity	≥ 98.0% by GC
Melting Range	Available on request
Boiling Point	Approximately 255 °C
Density	Approximately 1.098 g/cm³
Flash Point	Approximately 127 °C
Stage of Synthesis	Prochiral key starting material
Downstream Product	(S)- and (R)-3-chloro-1-phenylpropan-1-ol, leading to fluoxetine, atomoxetine and dapoxetine
Phenyl Vinyl Ketone Content	Available on request
Free Acidity / Chloride	Available on request
Related Substances	Individual and total limits as per in-house standard; reported on COA
Water Content (Karl Fischer)	Available on request
Elemental Impurities	Controlled; ICH Q3D statement supplied. Trace metals are particularly relevant to catalytic reduction steps
Residual Solvents	As per ICH Q3C
Solubility	Practically insoluble in water; soluble in ethanol, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate and toluene
Storage Condition	Store at 10 – 25 °C in tightly closed original packing, away from heat, direct sunlight and basic materials
Shelf Life	As stated on the batch COA, in unopened original packing under recommended storage
GHS Classification	Harmful if swallowed H302. Consult the MSDS before handling
Transport Classification	Available on request

Handling, Storage & Stability Guidance

The material is comparatively benign to handle harmful if swallowed, but not corrosive and not toxic by inhalation.

Its two practical issues are its low melting point and its tendency to eliminate.

The Low Melting Point Issue

This is a solid that melts somewhere in the region of 46 – 57 °C. Sea containers on India-to-destination routes routinely exceed that internally during summer transit, and warehouse temperatures in many markets do too.

Material that has melted and re-solidified is not necessarily off-specification, but the heat exposure accelerates elimination to phenyl vinyl ketone, and repeated melt-freeze cycling can cause caking and non-uniform impurity distribution within the drum.

We therefore ship with temperature management appropriate to the season and destination, and we recommend that receiving sites store the material below 25 °C rather than in ambient warehousing.

General Handling

Store at 10 – 25 °C in tightly closed containers, away from heat and direct sunlight.

Keep segregated from bases, amines and strong nucleophiles contact promotes elimination and unintended reaction.

Handle with dust control during weighing; use standard chemical-resistant gloves and eye protection.

Note that phenyl vinyl ketone, the elimination product, is a lachrymator and skin sensitiser material that has been heat-abused may be noticeably more irritating than fresh material.

Sample and re-test material that has been exposed to elevated temperature in transit before charging it into a validated batch.

Consult the MSDS supplied with the batch before handling.

Regulatory & Documentation Support

This is a starting material, so a DMF or CEP does not apply to it as a standalone item.

What buyers need is documented evidence of controlled manufacture and an impurity picture their own filing and process can rest on.

Documentation Supplied

Certificate of Analysis (COA) – batch-specific, with every consignment.

Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) in GHS format, with destination-language versions on request.

Technical Data Package for GMP-grade material – manufacturing flow, analytical methods, specification rationale, impurity profile.

GMP Starting Material declaration under ICH Q7 principles, where the GMP grade is ordered.

Certificate of Origin, Non-GMO declaration, BSE/TSE-free and allergen statements.

ICH Q3C residual solvent and ICH Q3D elemental impurity statements.

Documentation support where the material is referenced as a starting material in the buyer’s DMF, ASMF or CEP dossier.

Site audit access, subject to prior scheduling and confidentiality agreement.

Packaging, MOQ & Logistics

Parameter	Details
Standard Packing	Sealed HDPE containers with double LDPE inner liner, in outer fibre or HDPE drums; packed to tolerate the material’s low melting point
Pack Sizes	Available on request
Minimum Order Quantity	Available on request
Production Lead Time	Available on request
Monthly Capacity	Available on request
Sampling	Analytical and working samples readily available the mild hazard profile and absence of export control make sample supply straightforward
Shipping Terms	FOB / CIF / CFR / EXW, as agreed
Temperature Management	Season- and destination-appropriate temperature control to limit heat exposure in transit, given the sub-60 °C melting point
Port of Loading	Available on request
Mode of Transport	Sea freight; air freight availability available on request, subject to DG classification
Export Documentation	Standard commercial and dangerous-goods documentation

Why Choose Us as Your 3-Chloropropiophenone Supplier

Global Quality Compliance

Our operations run on WHO-GMP and ISO-certified systems, with GMP-grade material produced under ICH Q7 principles.

Batch record discipline, change control and documentation practice are aligned to what regulated-market buyers expect from an Indian supply partner.

Temperature Discipline Through the Chain

A solid that melts below 60 °C needs handling as such.

Storage, packing and shipping are managed to limit heat exposure, because heat is what converts a good batch into one that underperforms in the customer’s reduction step.

Batch-to-Batch Consistency

Every batch is released against the same analytical protocol with retained samples held for the declared shelf-life.

Where a customer qualifies our material into a validated route, we notify any change that could affect the impurity profile before it reaches their site.

Integrated Supply Chain

As part of a group manufacturing APIs, advanced intermediates and finished formulations, we can supply a starting material, its downstream intermediate and the finished API within one compliance framework reducing the number of vendors your team must audit and qualify.

Export & Client Support

With 12+ years of B2B pharmaceutical export experience, 500+ global clients and shipments across Asia, Africa, Latin America, the CIS region and the Middle East, our commercial and documentation teams work across time zones.

Frequently Asked Questions

Request a Quote for Bulk 3-Chloropropiophenone

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