The purity of standard laboratory chloroform () can be rapidly and chemically checked using which sp — Haloalkanes and Haloarenes Chemistry Question

💡 Solution & Explanation

Pure chloroform securely fails to yield a precipitate with aqueous $AgNO_3$ because the $C-Cl$ bond is covalent. However, impure chloroform slowly oxidizes in air to form phosgene and $HCl$. The free chloride ions ($Cl^-$) from the $HCl$ impurity securely react with $AgNO_3$ to yield a distinct white precipitate of $AgCl$.