20.9g acetone (26.5mL, 0.359mol, 1 eq) was loaded into a pressure equalized addition funnel. It was placed ontop of a 3L flask containing 1280mL 10.8% bleach (1485g, 2.155mol, 6 eq). A reflux condenser was added to the top of the addition funnel. Stirring was started, the stop cock was opened, and the acetone dumped in. The stop cock was then closed. After 10 mins, the rxn started to heat up. Some vapours refluxed back into the closed addition funnel. After it started to slow down, the stop cock was opened. After the flask started to cool down, the flask was cooled overnight in the fridge. Most of the aqueous was poured off, and the rest loaded into a 500ml sep funnel. 19.7ml (28.5g) (density = 1.45) of chloroform was recovered corresponding to an 85% of the expected yield. 43.0g was expected (29.0mL, 0.359mol) with 6.4mL of chloroform lost to the aqueous layer (soluble at 1/200) giving an expected yield of 33.5g.
This is great news! The density is very close to what we'd expect, and the yield seems right! Yay! The chloroform caper is closed.
note: there was no external cooling of the flask and no acid & the aqueous layer lost its scent of chlorine. and this means 52ml can be made from a 4L jug of bleach, that costs about $4.. ie you're paying $80/L to make it this way. (OUCH!)
I'd say the only reason to use this synthesis is if you need chloroform as a reagent and can't purchase it, otherwise using methylene chloride is definitely the way to go.
The only synthesis I know of that uses chloroform as a reagent, that is of interest to us, is making chlorbutol... and guess what? That drug sucks. You may as well huff the chloroform.