Question

Complete the following reaction:

${\mathrm{C}}_6{\mathrm{H}}_5{\mathrm{NH}}_2+{\mathrm{CHCl}}_3+\mathrm{Alc}\mathrm{KOH}\to$

Answer 1

• This is the carbylamine test for aliphatic and aromatic primary amines.
• Aniline$\left({\mathrm{C}}_6{\mathrm{H}}_5{\mathrm{NH}}_2\right)$ reacts with trichloromethane or Chloroform$\left({\mathrm{CHCl}}_3\right)$ and alcoholic Potassium hydroxide$\left(\mathrm{KOH}\right)$ to give Phenyl isocyanide$\left({\mathrm{C}}_6{\mathrm{H}}_5\mathrm{NC}\right)$, Potassium chloride$\left(\mathrm{KCl}\right)$, and water$\left({\mathrm{H}}_2\mathrm{O}\right)$.
• It is called the isocyanide test.

$$\begin{gathered} {\mathrm{C}}_6{\mathrm{H}}_5{\mathrm{NH}}_2\left(\mathrm{aq}\right)+{\mathrm{CHCl}}_3\left(\mathrm{aq}\right)+3\mathrm{KOH}\left(\mathrm{alc}\right)\left(\mathrm{aq}\right)\to {\mathrm{C}}_6{\mathrm{H}}_5\mathrm{NC}\left(\mathrm{aq}\right)+3\mathrm{KCl}\left(\mathrm{aq}\right)+3{\mathrm{H}}_2\mathrm{O}\left(\mathrm{l}\right) \\ \mathrm{aniline}\mathrm{chloroform}\mathrm{potassium}\mathrm{hydroxide}\mathrm{phenyl}\mathrm{isocyanide}\mathrm{potassium}\mathrm{chloride}\mathrm{water} \end{gathered}$$