Naming Alkyl Halides (R-X)

Naming Alkyl Halides

• In naming alkyl halides, the carbon chain is numbered to produce the lowest number for the first substituent, often involving finding the longest continuous chain.

Classification of Alkyl Halides

• Simple alkyl halides are classified based on the degree of substitution of the carbon atom carrying the halogen, including:
  • Primary (1°) alkyl halides: halogen is bonded to a primary carbon atom (1 carbon atom bonded to it)
  • Secondary (2°) alkyl halides: halogen is bonded to a secondary carbon atom (2 carbon atoms bonded to it)
  • Tertiary (3°) alkyl halides: halogen is bonded to a tertiary carbon atom (3 carbon atoms bonded to it)

Prefixes in Alkyl Halides

• When multiple halogens of the same kind are present, the prefix "di-" for two, "tri-" for three, and "tetra-" for four is used to indicate this.

IUPAC Nomenclature

• Simple alkyl halides are named using the IUPAC system, which involves identifying the parent hydrocarbon chain, numbering it, and adding the halogen prefix to the parent chain.

Physical Properties of Alkyl Halides

• The physical properties of alkyl halides differ from those of corresponding alkanes, with:
  • Higher boiling points and melting points due to increased polarity and London dispersion forces
  • Lower volatility and higher density compared to the corresponding alkanes