When chloroform () is exposed to air and light over time, it slowly undergoes atmospheric oxidation to form which highly toxic, poisonous gas?
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: D. Phosgene
- Step 1: Chloroform undergoes light-catalyzed radical photo-oxidation in the presence of atmospheric oxygen.
- Step 2: The chemical equation for this oxidation is: .
- Step 3: The product is phosgene (carbonyl chloride), a lethal chemical warfare pulmonary agent. To prevent this, chloroform is stored in dark amber bottles with ethanol added as a stabilizer.
Answer
Phosgene (carbonyl chloride, ).
Why not the others: Mustard gas is bis(2-chloroethyl) sulfide; Carbon monoxide is formed by incomplete combustion; Chloropicrin () is prepared by treating chloroform with concentrated nitric acid.
Practise more Haloalkanes and haloarenes.
Free questions with an explanation for every one, and full timed JEE Main mock tests.
More Haloalkanes and haloarenes questions
- What is the stereochemical outcome when optically pure (2R)-2-bromobutane undergoes an nucleophilic substitution reaction with aqueou…
- Which of the following alkyl halides reacts FASTEST via an nucleophilic substitution mechanism?
- The reaction of an alkyl chloride with sodium iodide in dry acetone to prepare an alkyl iodide is known by which name?
- Why does the reaction of an alkyl halide with alcoholic potassium cyanide () predominantly yield an alkyl cyanide (…
- When 2-bromobutane is heated with alcoholic potassium hydroxide (), what is the major organic alkene product according t…
- Which of the following factors is primarily responsible for the extremely low reactivity of chlorobenzene toward nucleophilic substitution c…