Question

What happens when chloroform is boiled with aqueous KOH?

What happens when chloroform is boiled with aqueous potassium hydroxide?

Answer 1

When chloroform is boiled with aqueous KOH, it undergoes dehydrohalogenation, forming formaldehyde.

\[\ce{\underset{chloroform}{CHCl3} + 4KOH -> \underset{formaldehyde}{HCHO} + 3KCl + 2H2O}\]

The chlorine in chloroform is removed in the presence of aqueous KOH, and the remaining structure undergoes oxidation, forming formaldehyde (HCHO) along with potassium chloride and water.