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hypochlorous acid
Sign in to saveAlso known as Hypomide, HClO, [ClOH], HOCl, hypochloric acid, Eclorite
chemical compound
Chemical data
- Formula
- ClHO
- Molecular weight
- 52.46 g/mol
- IUPAC name
- hypochlorous acid
- SMILES
- OCl
- InChIKey
- QWPPOHNGKGFGJK-UHFFFAOYSA-N
- XLogP
- 0.3
- Polar surface area
- 20.2 Ų
- H-bond donors
- 1
- H-bond acceptors
- 1
- Formal charge
- 0
via PubChem
Research
10,782 papers- Hypochlorous Acid: A Review.Journal of oral and maxillofacial surgery : official journal of the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons · 2020
- Hypochlorous acid-mediated modification of proteins and its consequences.Essays in biochemistry · 2020
- Hypochlorous Acid Chemistry in Mammalian Cells-Influence on Infection and Role in Various Pathologies.International journal of molecular sciences · 2022
- Hypochlorous Acid (HOCl) as a Promising Respiratory Antiseptic.Viruses · 2025
- Uses of gaseous hypochlorous acid for controlling microorganisms in indoor spaces.Journal of microorganism control · 2023
via PubMed
~19 min read
Encyclopedic overview
Hypochlorous acid is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula ClOH, also written as HClO, HOCl, or ClHO. Its structure is H−O−Cl. It is an acid that forms when chlorine dissolves in water, and itself partially dissociates, forming a hypochlorite anion, ClO. HClO and ClO are oxidizers, and the primary disinfection agents of chlorine solutions. HClO cannot be isolated from these solutions due to rapid equilibration with its precursor, chlorine.
Because of its strong antimicrobial properties, the related compounds sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) and calcium hypochlorite (Ca(OCl)2) are ingredients in many commercial bleaches, deodorants, and disinfectants. The white blood cells of mammals, such as humans, also contain hypochlorous acid as a tool against foreign bodies. In living organisms, HOCl is generated by the reaction of hydrogen peroxide with chloride ions under the catalysis of the heme enzyme myeloperoxidase (MPO).
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “hypochlorous acid” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.