Chloroform

Description

Chloroform is a trichlorinated organic substance with the chemical formula of CHCl3. It is a clear liquid at room temperature and has a pleasant, sweet odor. Chloroform is only slightly soluble in water and evaporates quickly into surrounding air, increasing the risk of inhalation exposure. In addition, chloroform persists for a long time in both water and air. There are no natural sources of chloroform, but this contaminant enters the environment through a variety of industrial operations, including the chlorination of water. Humans can be exposed to chloroform through inhalation, ingestion, and dermal contact.
Chloroform has a relatively narrow margin of safety and has been replaced by better inhalation anesthetics. In addition, it is believed to be toxic to the liver and kidneys and may cause liver cancer. Chloroform was once widely used as a solvent, but safety and environmental concerns have reduced this use as well. Nevertheless, chloroform has remained an important industrial chemical.

Description

Chloroform (CHCl3) is a relatively common organic solvent. In most organic chemistry labs, however, methylene chloride is used as a substitute. Deuterated chloroform (CDCl3) is one of the most common NMR solvents.

The Uses of Chloroform

Chloroform is a widely used industrial and laboratory solvent. It is a volatile chlorinated organic solvent whose vapors have a narcotic effect.Due to its light sensitivity, it may undergo degradation with time. This can be suppressed by adding ethanol as a stabilizer. The addition will increase the polarity of the solvent and potentially impact certain applications.

1. Chloroform has been used as a solvent for dissolving lipids and also as a cleansing agent.
2. It may also be used in solvent extraction process and also for recrystallization.
3. Suitable for HPLC, spectrophotometry, environmental testing
4. Facilitates recovery of the aqueous phase of PCRs which have been overlaid with mineral oil.
5. Meets ACS specifications.

The Uses of Chloroform

To a solution of the SM (80 g, 0.27 mol) in CHCl3 (1 L) at 10-15 C was added dropwise a solution of Br2 (16 mL, 0.31 mol) in CHCl3 (100 mL). The reaction was stirred at 12 C for 10 min, then washed sequentially with cooled sat aq NaHCO3 (2 x 500 mL) and sat aq brine (400 mL), dried, and concentrated in vacuo. Crystallization of the residue from EtOAc provided the product as a yellow solid. [90 g, 88%]

What are the applications of Application

Chloroform is a relatively unreactive common laboratory solvent

Background

Chloroform is an organic small molecule, member of the family of the chloromethanes that presents a formula of CHCl3. It is a colorless, sweet-smelling, dense liquid that is produced on a large scale as a precursor to PTFE and refrigerants, but the latter application is declining. Chloroform is part of the FDA drug products withdrawn or removed from the market for reasons of safety or effectiveness.

Metabolism

Not Available