what happens when ketones react with chlorine

in dark it forms alpha,alpha''-dichloro diethyl ether

in light it forms perchloro diethyl ether

there are two cases-

1) when methyl ketones (R–CO–CH₃ ) react with chlorine in present of a base haloform reaction takes place and chloroform ( CHCl₃ ) is obtained along with RCOO^- 

2) Under acidic reaction conditions, selective monohalogenation at the a-postion is observed when the aldehyde or ketone has a hydrogen at α(alpha) position which is more enhanced if hydrogen is more acidic in nature. the reaction is a nucleophillic substituion reaction.

vikash kumar

Btech. IIT Delhi