Hydrohalogenation is a chemical reaction in which a hydrogen atom is added to an alkene (a type of unsaturated hydrocarbon compound) in the presence of a halogen, such as fluorine, chlorine, bromine, or iodine. The resulting compound is called a halohydrin.
Here is an example of hydrohalogenation:
Starting compound:
CH2=CH2 (ethylene)
Reagent:
HBr (hydrobromic acid)
Product:
CH2BrCH2Br (1,2-dibromoethane)
In this reaction, the hydrogen atom is added to one carbon atom and the bromine atom is added to the other carbon atom, resulting in the formation of a halohydrin. Hydrohalogenation reactions are useful for synthesizing a variety of compounds, including plastics, rubber, and detergents.
