What is the main reaction type when alcohols are converted to alkyl halides?
Practice Questions
Q1
What is the main reaction type when alcohols are converted to alkyl halides?
Substitution
Elimination
Addition
Redox
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
What is the main reaction type when alcohols are converted to alkyl halides?
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.
