3.3.1 Reactivity of Halogenoalkanes

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Halogenoalkanes are organic compounds containing carbon-halogen (C-X) bonds, where X is a halogen such as chlorine, bromine, or iodine. Their reactivity is largely influenced by the bond enthalpy of the carbon-halogen bond, and they primarily undergo nucleophilic substitution reactions. Understanding how these reactions occur is key to predicting the behaviour of halogenoalkanes.

Carbon-Halogen Bond and Reactivity

The reactivity of halogenoalkanes depends on the strength of the carbon-halogen bond. The bond enthalpy of the carbon-halogen bond decreases as you move down Group 7 of the periodic table:

$C-F$ bond: Strongest bond with the highest bond enthalpy. This means that fluoroalkanes are the least reactive in nucleophilic substitution reactions because the bond is harder to break.
$C-I$ bond: Weakest bond with the lowest bond enthalpy. Iodoalkanes are the most reactive in nucleophilic substitution because the bond is easier to break.

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