Question

What happens when Chloroform is heated with Silver powder?

Answer 1

1. When Chloroform is heated with Silver powder at a high temperature, the formation of pure Acetylene or Ethylene and Silver Chloride takes place.
2. In this reaction, Silver powder behaves as a reducing agent which gets oxidized from 0 to +1 and reduces Carbon from +2 to -1 in Chloroform. This double displacement reaction is also known as the Coupling reaction of Chloroform.

$$\begin{gathered} {\mathrm{CHCl}}_3+\hspace{0.17em}6\mathrm{Ag}+{\mathrm{CHCl}}_3\underset{-6\mathrm{AgCl}}{\overset{∆}{\to }}\mathrm{CH}\equiv \mathrm{CH}+6\mathrm{AgCl} \\ \mathrm{Chlorofrom}\mathrm{Acetylene}\mathrm{Silver}\mathrm{Chloride} \end{gathered}$$