DDT Formation | DDT Preparation | Dichloro diphenyl trichloro ethane | Class 12 CBSE Board

DDT, or dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, is a synthetic chemical compound that was widely used as a pesticide in agriculture and to combat malaria-carrying mosquitoes. It was first developed in the 1940s and became well-known for its effectiveness in controlling insects. However, by the 1960s, concerns about its environmental and health impacts grew, particularly due to its persistence in the environment and accumulation in the food chain.
In 1972, the United States banned DDT for agricultural use, and many other countries followed suit. Despite its ban in many places, DDT is still used in some regions for malaria control, though with much stricter regulations. The environmental movement, particularly influenced by Rachel Carson's book Silent Spring in 1962, helped raise awareness of the dangers of DDT and contributed to its decline in use.
The chemical preparation of DDT (Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane) involves a reaction between chloral (CCl₃CHO) and chlorobenzene (C₆H₅Cl) in the presence of a catalyst, typically concentrated sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄).