Hi
This is a call for help regarding the synthesis of 2-chloroacetaldehyde. I have recently tried the formic acid reduction of chloroacetylchloride as detailed in Tetrahedron Letters, 39, Issue 44,Pages 8153-8154 (1998) which i have uploaded (hopefully it has worked. https://www.thevespiary.org/rhodium/Rhodium/hive/hiveboard/picproxie_docs/000520555-tet_letters_formic---aldehyde_reduction.pdf" target="_blank" title="Download this file">

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In this paper they say to add ammonium hydroxide to the acid chloride but i would have thought water would decompose the acid chloride or it would react to form the amide. This is supposed to reach a pH of 9-10 and the formic acid introduced to reduce it. I carried this reaction out today and got Zilch. Any thoughts... Is this method BS or do they mean to add the ammonium hydroxide solid (does this exist) or do they mean to neutralise the formic acid with the NH4.OH and use the formate salt to reduce the acid chloride or....
Well if anyone has any idea's thats great and or an easy synthesis of Chloroacetaldehyde would be great starting from either 2-chloro acetylchloride or acetaldehyde.
I found a few japanese patents regarding the chlorination of acetaldehyde but these were unfortunately written in japanese suprisingly    but seemed good so alternatively if someone can and is willing to translate these pm me and i will follow with details of these patents.
Thank you all in anticipation

Ammonium hydroxide cannot exist in solid form, it exists in solution only, even then in as ions in equilibrium I think. It isn't NH4OH, but simple NH3 in aq. solution.