Chemistry never stands still, and 5-Chloro-2-(trifluoromethyl)-pyrazine has a place in that constant push for better building blocks. Back in the late 20th century, researchers began searching intensely for new pyrazine derivatives. The introduction of halogens and trifluoromethyl groups became a favorite method because these changes brought serious tweaks to the reactivity and stability of the parent structures. 5-Chloro-2-(trifluoromethyl)-pyrazine came out of that period as a specialty intermediate, earning greater attention for pharmaceutical and agrochemical synthesis. The trifluoromethyl group often turns a simple molecule into a contender in everything from crop protection to advanced therapeutics. Just looking at patent records provides a timeline — by the mid-1990s, this compound started popping up in various synthetic pathways, both in academic journals and industry filings.
5-Chloro-2-(trifluoromethyl)-pyrazine looks pretty unassuming to anyone outside chemistry: a crystalline solid, white to off-white depending on the purity and batch. The real value hides in its chemical backbone. Placing a chlorine atom at the five position and a strongly electron-withdrawing trifluoromethyl at the two position changes how this pyrazine reacts, allowing chemists to steer selectivity in many reaction types. The compound doesn't grab headlines but fits into a long lineage of fine chemicals essential for making more valuable targets. Both research labs and chemical manufacturers buy and sell this compound globally, sometimes under trade names but more often with just the basic chemical description.
5-Chloro-2-(trifluoromethyl)-pyrazine clocks in with a molecular formula of C5H2ClF3N2 and a molecular weight around 182.5. The melting point typically lands in the range of 40-44°C, solid at room temperature, and it's stable in usual storage conditions as long as the container stays dry and sealed. It dissolves well in polar organic solvents like acetonitrile and DMSO; water solubility drops off dramatically thanks to the trio of fluorines and the pyrazine ring. The compound doesn't stray from the odorless and colorless norm of many fine organic intermediates, but its high volatility means chemists need to keep containers tightly capped. With its electron-deficient ring, it often stands out in electrophilic aromatic substitution reactions, tolerating a range of milder bases and acids, unlike many more fragile heterocycles.
Suppliers express quality through a purity assay, commonly listed above 98% by GC or HPLC. Container sizes vary, but most outlets provide it in 5g, 25g, and 100g increments. Labeling must comply with GHS guidelines, owing to the chlorine and trifluoromethyl substituents that imply health hazards. Each vial demands details: lot number, molecular formula, batch purity, and risk pictograms. Handwritten notes rarely appear here. Barcode tickets and digital tracking systems attach to shipments, especially for international orders. Certificates of analysis accompany every lot, giving reference spectra, assay results, and, in some stricter locales, proof of origin to satisfy regulatory checks on chemical precursors.
Industry and academia have converged on a handful of efficient routes. The most common synthetic approach uses either 2-chloro-5-nitropyrazine or 2-(trifluoromethyl)pyrazine as starting points. Nucleophilic aromatic substitution and direct halogenation form the backbone of the lab-scale method. The process often starts with a pyrazine ring, trifluoromethylation by reaction with CF3 sources such as Ruppert-Prakash reagent, and then selective chlorination using reagents like N-chlorosuccinimide under controlled temperatures. Column chromatography or recrystallization handles purification. Larger manufacturing batches leverage continuous flow reactors for better yield and control, keeping byproduct levels low and minimizing solvent waste. Chemists keep an eye on moisture during reactions, as water can hydrolyze sensitive intermediates, eating into yields.
The search for new molecules naturally leads to a spotlight on the functional groups of this compound. The chlorine stays in play for nucleophilic displacement. This reactivity positions 5-chloro-2-(trifluoromethyl)-pyrazine as a target for Suzuki, Buchwald, or Ullmann-type couplings, with the possibility of attaching heterocycles, aryl groups, or even complex pharmaceutical fragments. The trifluoromethyl group resists most mild chemical buffers but pulls electron density out of the ring, which increases the speed and selectivity in downstream C-H activation processes. Other transformations tap into reduction and amination at the pyrazine ring, with medicinal chemists often tweaking the molecule to dial up potency or make analogues for antifungal, antibacterial, or crop protection portfolios. Derivatization can branch into nitro-reduction, amidation, or even click-chemistry if functionalization is required downstream.
This compound answers to many aliases, depending on supplier catalog or research context. Common alternative names include 5-chloro-2-trifluoromethylpyrazine, 2-(trifluoromethyl)-5-chloropyrazine, and CAS number 105270-35-1. Some specialty chemical firms attach their own codes, but standardized nomenclature rules reign for regulatory and compliance reasons. When searching research articles or patents, these synonyms help track down parallel work or commercial availability, opening up the world of chemical information to those willing to drill a bit deeper than the first search result.
People working with 5-chloro-2-(trifluoromethyl)-pyrazine face the same chemical safety landscape as with many halopyrazines. Lab SOPs generally call for nitrile gloves, splash goggles, and use of a chemical fume hood. The material can irritate skin and eyes, and inhalation causes respiratory discomfort in poorly ventilated spaces. Supplier SDS sheets underline the need for immediate decontamination with copious water in the event of accidental contact, and chemical-resistant containers avoid reactivity with vapors or solid residues. Waste management hinges on local guidelines for halogenated solvent destruction; most labs contract these duties to specialized hazardous waste handlers. Anyone scaling up reactions receives extra training, given the volatility and toxicity of the byproducts sometimes formed in these processes.
Few molecules get pigeonholed forever, and 5-chloro-2-(trifluoromethyl)-pyrazine proves that point. Its main value cascades from use as a synthetic intermediate, laying the groundwork for more intricate compounds that end up in pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and specialty fine chemicals. Medicinal chemists grab it as a stepping stone for anti-infective drug candidates, using those electron-withdrawing groups to build out structure-activity relationships. Agrochemical researchers slot it into crop protection projects, betting on the combination of halogen and fluorine atoms to confer environmental stability and target pest selectivity. Material chemists sometimes screen derivatives for new liquid crystal or electronic properties, aiming at display or sensor applications, though that niche remains smaller. This compound brings flexibility to anyone who needs to tune a core heterocycle, and its continued use proves that even subtle structural tweaks pay off in chemical discovery programs.
Researchers continue probing new routes for greener, faster syntheses, with a big push toward milder reagents that trim hazardous waste and energy bills. Automated reaction screening and AI-guided retrosynthesis are now in the toolkits of many labs, speeding up the hunt for next-generation functionalized pyrazines. Drug discovery teams model analogs on computer clusters, predicting which substitutions could boost efficacy or cut toxicity. Most open-access chemistry databases show a steady stream of new derivatives, especially in structure-activity screens for antimicrobial, antitumor, and insecticidal properties. Companies invest in application notes and process patents to protect their edge, but academic publications continue driving this area forward with open data on yields, byproducts, and reaction mechanisms. This compound, like many others with halogen and trifluoromethyl tags, signals an intersection between tradition and innovation in small-molecule R&D.
No chemical gets into widespread use without toxicological scrutiny, especially in pharmaceutical and agricultural supply chains. Early readouts on 5-chloro-2-(trifluoromethyl)-pyrazine did not show acute toxicity at levels comparable to other halopyrazine building blocks, but full profiles require looking at every route: inhalation, dermal, oral, and environmental fate. Sometimes the byproducts or metabolites create more concern than the parent compound itself, so regulatory agencies push for exhaustive impurity profiling. Cytochrome assays, substrate-enzyme binding studies, and chronic exposure screens continue to fill in the picture. The trifluoromethyl group carries environmental persistence, which means any release outside controlled facilities calls for monitoring and reporting. Ongoing research tracks the fate of these molecules in water and soil, as long-term effects can slip past standard acute exposure panels.
Many chemists see a bright future for 5-chloro-2-(trifluoromethyl)-pyrazine, provided safety and waste issues don’t overwhelm the practical advantages. The continued importance of the pyrazine ring in drug and agrochemical discovery keeps this compound in regular production, and greener synthesis using catalysis or biotransformation stands to clean up older routes. As industries move toward more sustainable pipelines, demand will shift to manufacturing routes that trim resource consumption and minimize persistent waste. Big leaps in machine learning-driven molecule design forecast a new wave of pyrazine scaffolds, and 5-chloro-2-(trifluoromethyl)-pyrazine is well placed as both a building block and research reference. If regulatory guidance continues to tighten around halogenated compounds, new safety data and alternative replacements could shape future demand or drive targeted innovation in ring substitution patterns. Overall, careful stewardship of this compound’s production and handling sets the pace for its role across multiple research and industrial domains.
