Question

Show with the help of chemical equations, what happens when chloroform is exposed to sunlight and air for a long time?

Answer 1

When exposed to air and sunlight, carbonyl chloride, also known as phosgene, slowly oxidises into an extremely toxic gas. 

\[\ce{\underset{chloroform}{2CHCl3} + \underset{oxygen}{O2} ->[sunlight][air] \underset{(phosgene)}{\underset{Carbonyl chloride}{2COCl2}} + \underset{acid}{\underset{hydrochloric}{2HCl}}}\]

Because phosgene is extremely toxic, chloroform cannot be used as an anaesthetic.