Question

When chloroform is boiled with aqueos KOH followed by acidification it gives:​

Answer 1

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.

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.

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.