Mechanism of the reaction of alkanes with halogens

Mechanism of the reaction of alkanes with halogens

• A reaction mechanism is a description of the key events on the pathway that leads reactants to come together and react to produce the products
• When alkanes react with halogens, the mechanism is called radical substitution
• A radical is an atom or group of atoms which has an unpaired electron

E.g the reaction of methane with chlorine

1. Initiation

• This is the event thats starts the reaction
• It is brought about by UV light, which provides the energy needed to break a chlorine molecule apart to produce Cl radicals

Cl-Cl(g) -> Cl (radical)(g) + Cl (radical)(g)

• This bond breaking is an example of homolytic fission
• Homolytis fission is a process in which a covalent bond breaks, so that one of the electrons…