[Blastomogenic effect of orthoaminoazotoluene during repeated chloroform treatment]

A method involving the transformation of methyl ketones to carboxylic acids using excess base and halogen is called the haloform reaction. It begins with the deprotonation of α hydrogen to form an enolate ion which reacts with the electrophilic halogen to give an α-halo ketone. The step continues until all the α protons are substituted to form a trihalomethyl ketone. The resulting molecule is unstable, and in the presence of a hydroxide base, it readily undergoes nucleophilic acyl substitution.

Carboxylic acids react with diazomethane in an ether solvent via alkylation at the carboxylate oxygen atom to give methyl esters of the corresponding acid with excellent yields.