Beilstein test

The Beilstein test is a simple chemical test used in chemistry as a qualitative test for halides. It was developed by Friedrich Konrad Beilstein.^[1]

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A copper wire is cleaned and heated in a Bunsen burner flame to form a coating of copper(II) oxide. It is then dipped in the sample to be tested and once again heated in a flame. A positive test is indicated by a green flame caused by the formation of a copper halide.

This test is little used nowadays; one reason why it is not popular is that it is possible to generate the highly toxic chloro-dioxins if the test material is a polychloroarene.^[2]

An alternative wet test for halide is the sodium fusion test — this test converts organic material to inorganic salts include the sodium halide. Addition of silver nitrate solution causes any halides to precipitate as the respective silver halide.

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