Ozone layer halogen-containing molecules

Trichlorofluoromethane is a member of a class of molecules called chlorofluorocarbons or CFCs, which contain one or two carbon atoms and several halogens. Trichlorofluoromethane is an unusual organic molecule in that it contains no hydrogen atoms. Because it has a low molecular weight and is easily vaporized, trichlorofluoromethane has been used as an aerosol propellant and refrigerant. It and other CFCs have been implicated in the destruction of the stratospheric ozone layer, as is discussed in Chapter 15. 

Only a relatively limited number of mechanisms are needed to describe the very large number of reactions in organic chemistry. Mechanisms enable us to understand how and why reactions occur, and what products are likely to form in them. In this chapter we ply mechanistic concepts to explain the effects of halogen-containing chemicals on the stratospheric ozone layer. We conclude with a brief discussion of alkane combustion and show how that process serves as a useful source of thermodynamic information about organic molecules. 

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