Reaction Summary
Reagents
- Aqueous iodine,
- Aqueous sodium hydroxide,
Conditions
- Warm
Catalyst
- None
Chemical Equation
Equation
By-Products
- Tri-iodomethane
- Iodide ion
Observations
Observations
- Pale yellow precipitate of
⚠️ 9701 Exam Notes / Pitfalls
Warning
- Iodoform reaction — only methyl ketones (
) react. - The C–C bond between C=O and
breaks: ➔ , the rest ➔ carboxylate with one fewer carbon than the ketone. - Alkaline conditions ➔ carboxylate ion, not the acid. Acidify to get
. - Mechanism not required at 9701.