Freon-12 is manufactured from tetrachloromethane by

The correct answer is Option (3) → Swarts reaction

In the Swarts reaction, an alkyl chloride or bromide is heated with a metallic fluoride such as AgF, \( \ce{Hg2F2} \), \( \ce{CoF2} \) or \( \ce{SbF3} \), and the chlorine or bromine is replaced by fluorine. It is the usual way of making alkyl fluorides.

Freon-12 is dichlorodifluoromethane, \( \ce{CCl2F2} \). It is made from tetrachloromethane by replacing two chlorine atoms with fluorine:

    \( \displaystyle \ce{3CCl4 + 2SbF3 -> 3CCl2F2 + 2SbCl3} \)

So Freon-12 is synthesised from tetrachloromethane by the Swarts reaction.

Why the other options are incorrect

• Option (1) Wurtz reaction — Incorrect. Two molecules of an alkyl halide react with sodium in dry ether and join to give an alkane; no halogen exchange takes place.

      \( \displaystyle \ce{2R-X + 2Na} \xrightarrow{\text{dry ether}} \ce{R-R + 2NaX} \)

• Option (2) Finkelstein reaction — Incorrect. An alkyl chloride or bromide is heated with NaI in dry acetone to give an alkyl iodide, not a fluoride.

      \( \displaystyle \ce{R-Cl + NaI} \xrightarrow{\text{dry acetone}} \ce{R-I + NaCl} \)

• Option (4) \(\beta \)-elimination reaction — Incorrect. A haloalkane heated with alcoholic KOH loses the halogen from the α-carbon and a hydrogen from the β-carbon, giving an alkene. \( \ce{CCl4} \) has no β-hydrogen, and no fluorine is brought in.

      \( \displaystyle \ce{CH3CH2Br + KOH} \xrightarrow{\text{alcohol, heat}} \ce{CH2=CH2 + KBr + H2O} \)

NCERT (2026-27 edition):
Freons

Note: The same/similar question has been asked in different years by NTA as per the details given below: