--%>

How haloalkanes are prepared from hydrocarbons?

Alkyl halides can be prepared from alkanes through substitution and from alkenes through addition of halogen acids or through allylic substitution.
    
From alkanes

When alkanes are treated with halogens, chlorine or bromine, in the presence of light or heat, they undergo free radical substitution and a mixture of mono- and poly- substituted products are obtained.

2242_alkyl halide.png 

Although, the substitution beyond monohalogenation may be suppressed by using alkane in excess yet the method is not of much practical use because of the difficulties of separation of such a mixture.

In case of higher alkanes, different isomeric products are formed even when mono-substitution is carried out.

1702_alkyl halide1.png 

In general, the ease of substitution of different types of hydrogen atoms is:

Benzylic, allylic > tertiary > secondary > primary > vinylic, aryl

The iodination of alkanes is reversible and is done by heating with iodine in the presence of oxidising agents like conc. HNO3HIO4 orHIO3. The function of using such agents is to oxidize HI formed during the reaction to iodine, and hence shift the equilibrium in the forward direction.

264_alkyl halide2.png 

Due to formation of polysubstituted products and isomeric products, this method is not suitable for the laboratory preparation of pure haloalkanes. However, this method can be used for laboratory preparation of certain specific alkyl halides as given below:
    
When all the hydrogen atoms in the alkane are equivalent are equivalent, then it can form only one product on monosubstitution. In such cases this method may be applied.

924_alkyl halide3.png 
    
Allylic and benzylic halides can be prepared from alkenes and arenes respectively by this method because allylic and benzylic hydrogen atoms are substituted much more readily than vinylic and aryl hydrogen atoms.

260_alkyl halide4.png 

In such cases vinylic aryl hydrogens being less reactive do not participate in free radical substitution.

Allylic and benzylic hydrogen atoms are substituted very easily because their substitution proceeds via allylic and benzylic free radicals as intermediates. These intermediates are stabilized by resonance and hence being stable are formed at faster rate.
    
By halide exchange

Iodoalkanes can be obtained by treating bromo or chloroalkanes with a solution of sodium iodine in acetone or methanol. For example,

1778_alkyl halide5.png 

The reaction is known as Finkelstein reaction. This reaction is based on the fact that NaI is soluble in acetone but NaBr and NaCl are not. As a result, equilibrium in the above reaction is very much in favour of forward reaction. The reaction gives best result with primary halides.

Fluoroalkanes are difficult to prepare directly by the action of alkanes with fluorine. It is because fluoride has gor a high reactivity towards the hydrogen. It extracts all the hydrogen atoms from hydrocarbon molecule.

CH4 + 2F2  71_potassium permangnate3.png  4HF + C

However, Fluoroalkanes can be obtained by treating alkyl halides with salts like AgF, Hg2F2, CoF3 or SbF3. This reaction is known as Swarts reaction.

CH3Br + AgF 71_potassium permangnate3.png CH3F + AgBr

2CH3CH2Cl + Hg2F2  71_potassium permangnate3.png  2CH3CH2F + Hg2Cl
2

For replacement of two or three halogen atoms at the same carbon CoF3 or SbF3 is used.

67_alkyl halide6.png

   Related Questions in Chemistry

  • Q : Problem on distribution law The

    The distribution law is exerted for the distribution of basic acid among: (i) Water and ethyl alcohol (ii) Water and amyl alcohol (iii) Water and sulphuric acid (iv) Water and liquor ammonia What is the right answer.

  • Q : Electron Spin The total angular

    The total angular momentum of an atom includes an electron spin component as well as an orbital component.The orbital motion of each electron of an atom contributes to the angular momentum of the atom, as described earlier. An additional

  • Q : Solutions The relative lowering of

    The relative lowering of vapour pressure of 0.2 molal solution in which solvent is benzene

  • Q : Problem on Adiabatic expansion

    Calculate the change in entropy for the system for each of the following cases. Explain the sign that you obtain by a physical argument a) A gas undergoes a reversible, adiabatic expansion from an initial state at 500 K, 1 MPa, and

  • Q : Question based on mole concept Help me

    Help me to solve this Question. The number of moles of SO2Cl2 in 13.5 gm is in is : (a) 0.1 (b) 0.2 (c) 0.3 (d) 0.4

  • Q : HCl is polar or non-polar Can you

    Can you please illustrate that HCl is polar or non-polar? Briefly illustrate it.

  • Q : Concentration of urea Help me to go

    Help me to go through this problem. 6.02x 1020 molecules of urea are present in 100 ml of its solution. The concentration of urea solution is: (a) 0.02 M (b) 0.01 M (c) 0.001 M (d) 0.1 M (Avogadro constant, N4= 6.02x 1023mol -1)<

  • Q : Moles of chloride ion Select the right

    Select the right answer of the question. A solution of CaCl2 is 0.5 mol litre , then the moles of chloride ion in 500ml will be : (a) 0.25 (b) 0.50 (c) 0.75 (d)1.00

  • Q : Problem on Redlich-Kwong equation i)

    i) Welcome to Beaver Gas Co.! Your first task is to calculate the annual gross sales of our superpure-grade nitrogen and oxygen gases. a) The total gross sales of N2 is 30,000 units. Take the volume of the cylinder to be

  • Q : Vapour pressure of the pure hydrocarbons

    Give me answer of this question. A solution has a 1 : 4 mole ratio of pentane to hexane. The vapour pressure of the pure hydrocarbons at 20°C are 440 mmHg for pentane and 120 mmHg for hexane. The mole fraction of pentane in the vapour phase would be: (a) 0.549 (b)