Nitrosyl chloride is only chlorinating in darkness and above 100°. In the sun light and at room temperature it reacts as a chlorinating, nitrosating, nitrating and oxidizing agent. With trichlorethylene in fact pentachlorethane 1,1,1,2‐tetrachloro‐2‐nitrosoethane, 1,1,1,2‐tetrachloro‐2‐nitroethane, dichloracetic acid and a compound of empirical formula C4H2Cl5NO2 are obtained. Tetrachloroethylene carried to hexachlorethane, pentachloronitrosoethane and tetrachloro‐2‐(pentachlorethyl)‐1,2‐oxazetidine. Introduced nitrosyl chloride provided nitrogen monoxide prouved by gaz chromatography. This monoxide reacted afterwards to give nitrogen which is the single nitrogenous gazeous compound. Carbondioxide is a minor component of the gaz.

Bei Temperaturen >100°C im Dunkeln wirkt NOCl ausschließlich als Chlorierungsreagenz und chloriert die Chloräthylene (I) und (VI) zu Penta‐ bzw. Hexachloräthan.