About Haloalkanes

Function group suffix = halide (i.e. fluoride, chloride, bromide, iodide)

Also known as alkyl halides, are a group of chemical compounds from alkanes containing one or more halogens. The halogens found in organic molecules include fluorine, chlorine, bromine and iodine.

A halogen is an element belonging to Group 17 in the periodic table.

Physical properties

Haloalkanes are colorless when pure, however ‘bromo’ and ‘iodo’ alkanes develop colour when exposed to light. Haloalkanes are generally liquids at room temperature and have a higher boiling point than the alkane group it derives from.

The haloalkanes are slightly soluble in water however dissolves in organic solvents. In order for haloalkanes to dissolve in water, it is needed to break attractions between its molecules, these include the Van de Waals dispersion and dipole – dipole intermolecular forces, these then break the hydrogen bonds between water molecules.

Haloalkanes tend to dissolve in organic solvents as the new intermolecular forces have the same strength as the ones being broken.

Chemical properties and reactivity  

In order for chemicals to react with haloalkanes, the carbon – halogen bond is required to be broken. It is easier to react from fluoride to chloride to bromide to iodide, the compounds get more reactive in that order. Out of the four halogens, fluorine is the most electronegative and iodine is the least. 
Examples
As can be seen from above, Haloalkanes by type of halogen can be grouped, named and described according to its particular halogen that has replaced the hydrogen atom. Examples include;