What is the halogenation of alkanes?
1 Answer
A way to introduce functionality into an otherwise unreactive alkyl chain.
Explanation:
Alkanes undergo radical halogenation, with the radicals generated by UV light:
The methyl radical is a very reactive species, and can react with bromine to give the product:
The termination step involves the coupling of two radicals:
Or two methyl radicals can couple:
The observation of ethane where a
Overall the rxn is: