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Q.Write a note on haloform reaction with a typical example.

Odisha ChseOdisha CHSE +2 Science Board Exam 2026Subjective· 3mImportance★★★★★
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Methyl ketones (or CH3CH(OH)RCH_3CH(OH)R alcohols) react with halogen/NaOH to give a haloform and a carboxylate salt — the iodoform variant is a classic test for the CH3CO−CH_3CO-/CH3CH(OH)−CH_3CH(OH)- group.

The haloform reaction is characteristic of compounds containing the methyl ketone group CH3−CO−RCH_3-CO-R, (or compounds that can be oxidised to one, such as CH3−CH(OH)−RCH_3-CH(OH)-R). When treated with a halogen (Cl2Cl_2, Br2Br_2, or I2I_2) in the presence of sodium hydroxide, the three hydrogens of the methyl group are progressively replaced by halogen (via base-mediated enolisation and halogenation), and the resulting trihalomethyl ketone is then cleaved by hydroxide ion, giving a haloform (CHX3CHX_3) and the sodium salt of the corresponding carboxylic acid:

CH3COR+3X2+4NaOH→CHX3+RCOONa+3NaX+3H2OCH_3COR + 3X_2 + 4NaOH \rightarrow CHX_3 + RCOONa + 3NaX + 3H_2O

A typical/classical example is the iodoform test using acetone:

CH3COCH3+3I2+4NaOH→CHI3↓(yellow ppt.)+CH3COONa+3NaI+3H2OCH_3COCH_3 + 3I_2 + 4NaOH \rightarrow CHI_3\downarrow(\text{yellow ppt.}) + CH_3COONa + 3NaI + 3H_2O

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