Chlorination of Higher Alkanes Relative Reactivity and Selectivity

KEYS TO SUCCESS USING THE KNOWN MECHANISM AS A MODEL FOR THE UNKNOWN [Pg.113]

Section 3-4 presented the mechanism for the chlorination of methane in full, step-by-step detail. Section 3-5 discussed the reactions of methane with the other three halogens, but it did not actually display either the full equations for any of these reactions, nor did it illustrate any of the individual steps of their mechanisms. Why not The reactions of methane with the four halogens all proceed through mechanisms that are qualitatively identical to one another. To write a mechanism for the reaction of methane with fluorine, bromine, or iodine you need only (1) copy the mechanism for reaction with chlorine and (2) replace every Cl in those equations with the symbol for the new halogen. The energy values will be different because the bond strengths are different, but the overall appearance of the mechanisms will be the same. Solved Exercise 3-4 already illustrated this strategy for the chlorination of ethane. Let us try some examples [Pg.113]

Write the second propagation step for hromination of methane. [Pg.113]

Don t forget The Br that forms is a neutral atom, not a negatively charged bromide ion 3. Write any termination step for iodination of methane. [Pg.113]

In Summary Reasoning out complex problems by analogy, using models that have been presented previously, is an efficient method for both solving the problems and reinforcing your study of the patterns that govern the mechanisms of reactions. [Pg.113]

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