Question

What happens when chloroform is heated with aqueous alkali?

Answer 1

Answer:

Answer. When chloroform reacts with aq. ... 1 mole of Chloroform will react with 4 moles of KOH to produce 1 mole of HCOOK (potassium formate), 3 moles of KCl and 2 moles of H2O. 1 CHCl3 + 4 KOH —-> HCOOK + 3 KCl + 2 H2O.

Answer 2

When chloroform reacts with aq. KOH, the chlorines on CHCl3 are successively replaced by -OH groups from KOH via. nucleophilic reaction (SN2). In theory, first it forms CHCl2(OH), then CHCl(OH2), and then CH(OH)3, while eliminating KCl with each step. Since Cl- is an excellent leaving group, CHCl(OH2) will spontaneously release one molecule of H2O and produce HC(=O)Cl or formyl chloride, which again will be hydrolyzed to produce HCOOK or Potassium Formate.


This is if you allow the reaction to go to completion. If the reaction conditions are not severe enough, you can isolate some of the intermediates as well.

Hope it helps uu!!