What is the main reaction type when alcohols are converted to alkyl halides?
Practice Questions
1 question
Q1
What is the main reaction type when alcohols are converted to alkyl halides?
Substitution
Elimination
Addition
Redox
The conversion of alcohols to alkyl halides typically involves a nucleophilic substitution reaction.
Questions & Step-by-step Solutions
1 item
Q
Q: What is the main reaction type when alcohols are converted to alkyl halides?
Solution: The conversion of alcohols to alkyl halides typically involves a nucleophilic substitution reaction.
Steps: 5
Step 1: Identify the alcohol that you want to convert to an alkyl halide.
Step 2: Understand that a nucleophilic substitution reaction is a type of reaction where one group (the alcohol) is replaced by another group (the halide).
Step 3: In this reaction, the alcohol (which has a hydroxyl group -OH) is converted into a better leaving group, often by using reagents like hydrogen halides (HCl, HBr, HI).
Step 4: The hydroxyl group (-OH) leaves, and a halide ion (like Cl-, Br-, or I-) takes its place, forming the alkyl halide.
Step 5: The overall process is a nucleophilic substitution because the halide ion acts as a nucleophile, attacking the carbon atom that was bonded to the hydroxyl group.
