NAME: RASHID KANETSA

SUBJECT: ORGANIC CHEMISTRY PRACTICAL 1

LEVEL : ND METALLURGICAL ASSAYING

LECTURER: MR MAVHAIRE

TOPIC

To come up with a method, quantities for performing a tri-iodomethane test on ethanol in the
laboratory.

AIM

To identify the presence of CH3CH (OH) R/H group in ethanol (alcohols)

THEORY

Tri-iodomethane or Iodoform (CHI3) is yellow crystalline with a relatively high molar mass due to the
iodine atoms. It is therefore a solid at room temperature It melts at 119°C and is very slightly soluble
in water and soluble in ether or ethanol. A visible precipitate of this compound will form from a
sample only when a methyl ketone is present. This type of reactivity conforms to the more general
Haloform Reaction.Iodoform was formerly used as an antiseptic. It is a stable compound.

Incompatible with strong oxidizing agents,

reducing agents

Tri-iodomathane can be also used to test check the presence of carbonyl compounds with the
structure R-CH(OH)-CH3 in a given unknown substance

A positive result - the pale yellow precipitate of triiodomethane (iodoform) - is given by an aldehyde
or ketone containing the grouping:

"R" can be a hydrogen atom or a hydrocarbon group (for example, an alkyl group).If "R" is hydrogen,
then you have the aldehyde ethanol, CH3CHO.Ethanal is the only aldehyde to give the
triiodomethane (iodoform) reaction

COMPOUNDS THAT GIVE POSITIVE IODOFORM TEST

 Acetaldehyde
 Methyl Ketones
 Ethanol
The main aim was to know the method, quantities of how tri-iodomathane or iodoform could be
performed using NaOH, Iodine and ethanol

MATERIALS

 Balancing scale
 500ml volumetric flask
 Droppers
 250ml x3 beakers
 Test tubes
 Spatula

CHEMICALS

 NaoH
 Iodine
 Ethanol
 Water bath

REAGENTS

Iodine and Sodium Hydroxide

 The first stage involves substitution of all 3 hydrogen’s in the methyl group by iodine atoms.
 The presence of hydroxide ions is of importance for the reaction to happen they take part
in the mechanism for the reaction
CH3COR + 3I2+ 3OH- CI3-COR + 3I- +3H2O.
 Putting all this together give the overall equation reaction as :

CH3-COR + 3I2 +4OH- CHI3 + RCOO-+3I- + 3H20.

PROCEDURE

 40grams of NaOH pellets was prepared and placed into 500mls of distilled water
 6 drops of ethanol was added together with 3mls of distilled water in a test tube
 2mls of iodine solution was added in the same test tube where ethanol and water was
 After mixture of ethanol, distilled water and iodine ,a purple colour was obtained
 Afterwards, the solution was placed in warm water bath at 60 0C for 10 minutes
 The solution was then removed from water bath and a colour change was observed from
purple to dark brown

RESULTS /OBSERVATION

The solution of iodine and ethanol changed the colour after I dropped 4 drops of NaOH into the
solution, it turned from dark brown to pale yellow precipitate.
 The results shown below :

CONCLUSION

It was concluded that iodoform was synthesized by halogenation reaction. The general rule for
determining compound which will give iodoform is the presence of aldehyde or ketone. Ethanol is
the only aldehyde to give the triiodomethane (iodoform) reaction. For the ketones, only those that
do all have a methyl group on one side of the carbon-oxygen double bond. During the collapse
process of tetrahedral, CI-3 an extremely good leaving group is expelled. Finally the proton transfer
provides the carboxylate and iodoform.Iodoform is a yellow solid which is insoluble H 2O and
produced as a precipitate.

RECOMMENDATIONS

It is recommended that proper transferring must be practiced well for minimal alteration of the
chemicals used in experiment. And the addition of sodium hypochlorite must be precise to make
sure that the precipitate is formed completely. The use of temperature above the permissible
degrees or below the limit it is not advisable because high or low temperature might dissolve the
precipitate

REFERENCES

 CHEMISSTRY 5TH EDITION ( REVISED EDITION ) JGR BRIGGS

 Haloform Reaction. Retrieved from:
 http://www.organic-chemistry.org/namedreactions/haloform-reaction.shtm
 Hunts,Ian. Enols and Enolates. University of Calgary Retrieved from:
http://www.chem.ucalgary.ca/courses/350/Carey5th/Ch18/ch18-3-2b.html