Alkyl halides Important chemical reaction

• Alkyl halides are versatile compounds in organic chemistry, participating in a variety of chemical reactions that form the backbone of synthetic strategies.
• Here’s an organized summary of the important reactions involving alkyl halides, including their chemical equations:

Nucleophilic Substitution in Alkyl halides chemical reaction

1. SN2 Mechanism:

   • Involves a backside attack by the nucleophile and is a one-step process where bond formation and bond breaking occur simultaneously.
   • Example: Reaction of 2-bromopropane with hydroxide ion
   • Equation: CH3CHBrCH3 + OH− → CH3CHOHCH3 + Br−

2. SN1 Mechanism:

   • Involves the formation of a carbocation intermediate and is a two-step process. It’s more common with tertiary alkyl halides.
   • Example: Not explicitly provided, but a general equation could be:
   • Equation: R-CH2X → R-CH2+ + X− → R-CH2OH + X−

Elimination Reactions in Alkyl halides chemical reaction

1. E2 Mechanism:

   • A single-step mechanism where the base abstracts a proton, leading to the formation of a double bond as the leaving group departs.
   • Example: Reaction of 2-bromopropane with ethoxide ion
   • Equation: CH3CHBrCH3 + C2H5O− → CH3CH=CH2 + Br− + C2H5OH

2. E1 Mechanism:

   • Involves the formation of a carbocation intermediate followed by the elimination of a proton to form a double bond.
   • Example: Not explicitly provided, but a general equation could be:
   • Equation: R-CH2X → R-CH2+ + X− → R-CH=CH2

Grignard Reagent Formation Alkyl halides chemical reaction

1. Reaction:

   • Alkyl halides react with magnesium in dry ether.
   • Example: Formation of methylmagnesium bromide
     • Equation: CH3Br + Mg → CH3MgBr

Wurtz Reaction

1. Reaction:

   • Alkyl halides react with sodium metal in dry ether to form higher alkanes.
   • Example: Reaction of ethyl bromide
     • Equation: 2CH3CH2Br + 2Na → CH3CH2CH2CH3 + 2NaBr

Sandmeyer Reaction

1. Reaction:

   • Aryl diazonium salts react with copper(I) halides to form aryl halides.
   • Example: Reaction of benzenediazonium chloride with copper(I) bromide
     • Equation: C6H5N2 + Cl−+ CuBr → C6H5Br + N2 + CuCl

Finkelstein Reaction

1. Reaction:

   • Alkyl halides undergo halogen exchange with sodium or potassium halide salts in a polar aprotic solvent.
   • Example: Reaction of bromoethane with sodium iodide
     • Equation: CH3CH2Br + NaI → CH3CH2I + NaBr

• These reactions illustrate the fundamental processes by which alkyl halides can be transformed into a variety of functional groups, serving as key intermediates in the synthesis of complex organic molecules.

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