Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Haloform reaction

Lowry - 18-9-2002 at 08:07

Is it possible to perform a haloform reaction in acidic media? (Its normally done in basic media = hypochlorite solution)

I would think that the hydrolyzation step is slow but does the reaction go all the way to polyhalogenation or does it stop at monohalogenation?

Thanx

rikkitikkitavi - 18-9-2002 at 10:55

I believe that it is the hypohalite ion that performs the nucleofilic attac. A hypohalide acid is not charged and since it is not a strong acid there shouldnt be so many ions.

hypohalite acids are extremely unstable, can not be synthesised above 5 % conc or so, they decompose into
Cl2 and Cl-

The halogenation goes all the way to a trihalogenation.

/rickard

rikkitikkitavi - 18-9-2002 at 10:56

I forgot;

adding a strong acid to a hypohalite solution immediately produces halide

/rickard

Basic Conditions Required

PrimoPyro - 19-9-2002 at 03:51

The haloform requires basic conditions. It occurs poorly to a minor degree in neutral conditions, but very well in basic conditions, and hardly at all, if at all, in strongly acidic conditions.

PrimoPyro