Dichloromethane (DCM) or methylene
chloride is the chemical compound with the formula CH2Cl2.
It is a colorless, volatile liquid with a moderately sweet aroma. It is
widely used as a solvent, the general view being that it is one of the less
harmful of the chlorocarbons, and it is miscible with most organic solvents.
Dichloromethane was first prepared in 1840 by the French chemist Henri
Victor Regnault, who isolated it from a mixture of chloromethane and
chlorine that had been exposed to sunlight.
