Lithium hypochlorite, LiOCl

The hypochlorite is very unstable, and has not been isolated. It is formed in solution by the action of chlorine on a solution of lithium hydroxide,

2LiOH+Cl₂=LiOCl+LiCl+H₂O,

but is rapidly decomposed with formation of chlorate:

3LiOCl=2LiCl+LiClO₃.

It is probably also present in the product formed by the action of chlorine on dry lithium hydroxide.