chloroform isnt used so much anymore because it can kill. it is produced by a haloform reaction, a form of nucleophilic substitution:
R-COCH3+3MOCl-->R-COCCl3+3MOH
R-COCCl3+3MOH-->R-COO-+M++CHCl3
also,
R-COCH3+3X2+4MOH-->R-COO-+M++CHX3+3X-+3H2O
i've been studying for my orgo I class
btw, this reminds me. for home production of chloroform with minimal other waste products:
since you need a methyl ketone, why not use acetone? it is a doubly methylated ketone:
H3CCOCH3
thus, if one were to use 6MOCl, would one not achieve twice the chloroform and no R product?
H3CCOCH3+6NaOCl-->Cl3CCOCCl3+6NaOH-->2Na+ -OOCOO- +2CHCl3