Freon 12 (CCl2F2) is one of the most common freons in industrial use. It is manufactured from tetrachloromethane by which of the following reaction?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
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) 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 (2) Sandmeyer’s reaction — Incorrect. A benzenediazonium salt is treated with a copper(I) halide to give an aryl chloride or bromide; it starts from an aromatic diazonium salt, not from \( \ce{CCl4} \).
\( \displaystyle \ce{C6H5N2^+Cl^-} \xrightarrow{\ce{Cu2Cl2/HCl}} \ce{C6H5Cl + N2} \)
Option (4) 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.
\( \displaystyle \ce{2R-X + 2Na} \xrightarrow{\text{dry ether}} \ce{R-R + 2NaX} \)
NCERT (2026-27 edition):
Freons

Note: The same/similar question has been asked in different years by NTA as per the details given below:
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 07-06 S2 22-05 S2 | 29-05 S2 | – | 08-06 S3 | – |