What happens when hbr react with pcl5
Answers
Solid phosphorus(V) chloride (phosphorus pentachloride) reacts violently with alcohols at room temperature, producing clouds of hydrogen chloride gas. It isn't a good choice as a way of making chloroalkanes, although it is used as a test for -OH groups in organic chemistry.
To show that a substance was an alcohol, you would first have to eliminate all the other things which also react with phosphorus(V) chloride. For example, carboxylic acids (containing the -COOH group) react with it (because of the -OH in -COOH), and so does water (H-OH).
If you have a neutral liquid not contaminated with water, and get a violent reaction producing clouds of steamy fumes of hydrogen chloride when you add phosphorus(V) chloride, then you have an alcohol group present.
There are also side reactions involving the POCl3 reacting with the alcohol.