Hypochlorous Acid - HOCl

What is Hypochlorous Acid?

HOCl is a weak acid with chemical name Hypochlorous Acid. It is also called Hydrogen hypochlorite or Chlorine hydroxide or hypochloric acid. It was discovered by a French chemist Antoine Jerome Balard in the year 1834. It is an oxyacid of chlorine.

It contains monovalent chlorine that functions as a reducing agent or an oxidizing agent. It is an unstable acid and functions as a human metabolite. It belongs to the family of reactive oxygen species and is a conjugate acid of a hypochlorite.

Properties of Hypochlorous Acid – HOCl

Hypochlorous Acid structure – HOCl

HOCl Uses (Hypochlorous Acid)

• Hypochlorous Acid is used to convert alkenes to chlorohydrins.
• Used in cosmetics such as baby products.
• Used in swimming pools.
• Used to generate sufficient quantities of safe disinfectant.
• Used in marine sanitation devices to convert seawater into HOCl.
• Used as a wound care agent.
• Used to treat various infections in pets and humans.

Reactions

• • Hypochlorous acid partially dissociates into the anion hypochlorite ClO⁻ in aqueous solutions. Below is the reaction:

HClO ⇌ ClO⁻ + H⁺

Hypochlorites are the salts of hypochlorous acid. One of the common hypochlorites is sodium hypochlorite (NaClO), which is an active ingredient in bleach.

• • At standard conditions Hypochlorous Acid is a stronger oxidant when compared to chlorine.

2 HClO_(aq) + 2  H⁺ + 2  e⁻ ⇌ Cl_2(g) + 2 H₂O

Where, E = +1.63 V

• • Hypochlorous acid reacts with hydrochloric acid (HCl) to produce chlorine gas:

HClO + HCl → H₂O + Cl₂

• • Hypochlorous acid reacts with amines to produce chloramines along with water.

NH₃ + HClO → NH₂Cl + H₂O

Learn more about the Structure, physical and chemical properties of HOCl from the experts at BYJU’S.