page_title: Thionyl chloride
section_title: Properties and structure
hierarchical_section_title: Thionyl chloride / Properties and structure
caption_attribution_description: Space-filling model of part of the crystal structure of thionyl chloride, SOCl2. Single crystal X-ray diffraction data from Acta Cryst. (1988). C44, 926-927.
context_page_description: Thionyl chloride is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula SOCl
  ₂. It is a moderately volatile colourless liquid with an unpleasant acrid odour. Thionyl chloride is primarily used as a chlorinating reagent, with approximately 45,000 tonnes per year being produced during the early 1990s. It is toxic, reacts with water, and is also listed under the Chemical Weapons Convention as it may be used for the production of chemical weapons.
  Thionyl chloride is sometimes confused with sulfuryl chloride, SO₂Cl₂, but the properties of these compounds differ significantly. Sulfuryl chloride is a source of chlorine whereas thionyl chloride is a source of chloride ions.
context_section_description: SOCl₂ adopts a trigonal pyramidal molecular geometry with Cₛ molecular symmetry. This geometry is attributed to the effects of the lone pair on the central sulfur(IV) center.
  In the solid state SOCl₂ forms monoclinic crystals with the space group P2₁/c.
caption: Crystal structure of SOCl2
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