environmental aspect

Question

Chloroform stored with ethanol forms phosgene slowly; ethanol is added to:

RankGuru · Accepted Answer

1. **Oxidation**: In the presence of light and air, Chloroform ($CHCl_3$) is slowly oxidized to a poisonous gas called **Phosgene (Carbonyl chloride, $COCl_2$)**.
2. **Prevention**: To prevent poisoning, about $1\%$ Ethanol is added to chloroform bottles.
3. **Scavenging**: If any phosgene is formed, it reacts immediately with ethanol to form **Diethyl carbonate**, which is non-poisonous.
4. **Darkness**: For the same reason, chloroform is stored in dark, amber-colored bottles filled to the brim to exclude air.

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environmental aspect

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