23 Halogenated Hydrocarbon Examples: Facts You Should Know!

Halogenated hydrocarbons are those possessing a halogen. In this article, we shall discuss various examples of halogenated hydrocarbons based on their types.

  • Chloromethane
  • Chloroform
  • Iodopropane
  • Bromopentene
  • Halothane
  • Chlorobenzene
  • Dichlorobenzene
  • Bromobenzene
  • Benzyl
  • bromide
  • Chlorotoluene
  • Polychlorinated
  • Naphthalene
  • Chloro Fluorene
  • Chlorophenanthrene
  • Chloroanthracene
  • 5 – Chlorostyrene
  • Chlordane
  • 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid
  • Trichlorophenoxyacetic acid
  • DDT
  • Brominated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
  • Chlorpheniramine

Halogenated hydrocarbons are those in which at least one bond between the hydrogen and carbon atoms is replaced by any halogen atom like F, Cl, Br, I, etc. These are widely used as degreasing solvents, for cleaning clothes, metals, sprays, etc. We shall further discuss various examples of halogenated hydrocarbons.

Types of Halogenated Hydrocarbon

Halogenated hydrocarbons are classified on the variety of halogens sharing bonds with hydrocarbons and the structure they form. Let us see the types of halogenated hydrocarbons.

  • Aliphatic Halogenated Hydrocarbons – These are chain structures of CH-.
  • Aromatic Halogenated Hydrocarbons – These are ring structured CH-.
  • Polyaromatic Halogenated Hydrocarbons – These are the multiple groups of aromatic CH-.
  • Alicyclic Halogenated Hydrocarbons – These are aliphatic hydrocarbons joined with cyclic CH-.
  • Heterocyclic Halogenated Hydrocarbons – These have at least one halogen forming a ring structure.

Properties of Halogenated Hydrocarbon

There are different properties of halogenated hydrocarbons compared to other hydrocarbons. Let us ponder on the properties of halogenated hydrocarbon.

  • The intermolecular bonding depends on the Van der Waals interactions.
  • Halogenated hydrocarbons are non-polar, hydrophobic,  non-flammable compounds.
  • The boiling point of halogenated hydrocarbons is slightly high.
  • Halogenated hydrocarbons can dissolve any hydrocarbon and do not dissolve in polar compounds.

Examples of Aliphatic Halogenated Hydrocarbons

The aliphatic halogenated hydrocarbons are chain structures of CH- with at least one halogen in the structure. Let us see some examples of aliphatic halogenated hydrocarbons.

  • Chloromethane – One hydrogen atom in methane is replaced by chlorine sharing a single bond with C.
  • Chloroform – It is widely used as an insecticide in mushroom plantations having three atoms of Cl.
  • Iodopropane – The hydrogen is replaced by an iodine atom and is used for the alkylation of pyrrole.
  • Bromopentene – It is a chain of five carbons with the addition of bromine.
  • Halothane – It is a hydrocarbon alkane having molecules of CL, Br, and F.

Examples of Aromatic Halogenated Hydrocarbons

The aromatic halogenated hydrocarbons are those having the halogen replacing one hydrogen atom bonded with carbon in a cyclic structure. Let us list examples of the same.

  • Chlorobenzene – It is a benzene structure with chlorine used in pesticides.
  • Dichlorobenzene – It is benzene with two Cl atoms used in deodorant.
  • Bromobenzene – It is a crystallizing solvent used as motor oil.
  • Benzyl bromide – It is an organic compound consisting of bromide used for synthesis.
  • Chlorotoluene – It is an isomeric compound having a chlorine atom.

Examples of Polyaromatic Halogenated Hydrocarbons

Polyaromatic halogenated hydrocarbons have two or more aromatic hydrocarbon rings with at least one halogen in the structure. Let us see some examples of the same.

  • Polychlorinated Naphthalene – It is a naphthalene bonded with chlorine atoms used in electronics.
  • Chloro-Fluorene – It has two hexagonal and one pentagonal structure with Cl atom.
  • Chlorophenanthrene – It has one atom of chlorine having three rings of benzene.
  • Chloroanthracene – It is a yellow-colored halogenated hydrocarbon with the presence of chlorine.
  • 5 – Chlorostyrene – It has four rings of benzene with chlorine.
Chloroform
Image Credit: Chloroform by Yamakiri (CC-BY-3.0)

Examples of Alicyclic Halogenated Hydrocarbons

The alicyclic halogenated hydrocarbons have cyclic as well as chain structures of atomic bonding with at least one halogen in the compound. Let us list a few examples of the same.

  • Chlordane – It is a white-colored organic pesticide consisting of chlorine.
  • 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid – It is the herbicide used to get rid of weeds in the garden.
  • Trichlorophenoxyacetic acid – It is also an herbicide used in gardening.

Examples of Heterocyclic Halogenated Hydrocarbons

Heterocyclic halogenated hydrocarbons have a heterocyclic structure having a train of cyclic structures. Let us see a few examples of heterocyclic halogenated hydrocarbons below.

  • DDT – It is an insecticide hydrophobic substance with chlorine atoms.
  • Brominated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons – It is a carcinogenic compound.
  • Chlorpheniramine – It antihistamine halogenated hydrocarbon having nitrogen along with chlorine.

Conclusion

We can conclude from this article that there are various examples of halogenated hydrocarbons based on the type of structure of the compound and bond formation. The halogenated hydrocarbons are classified into five types and they are aliphatic, aromatic, polyaromatic, alicyclic, and heterocyclic.

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