What type of reaction do haloalkanes undergo with nucleophiles?

Halogens are electronegative than the adjacent carbon atoms in haloalkanes.Therefore they have a tendency to attract the pair of electrons in a covalent bond, forming a polar bond.The carbon becomes electron deficient and therefore attracts the nucleophile (electron donor).The reaction will be a nucleophilic substitution where the nucleophile replaces the halide - in this case forming an alcohol.
CH3CH2CL + OH- —> CH3CH2OH + Cl-

Related Chemistry A Level answers

All answers ▸

At room temperature and pressure, the first 4 alkanes are all gases, but the first 4 alcohols are all liquids. Explain this.


Define the terms atomic number and mass number


Which molecule has the highest boiling point: methane, ammonia, water or hydrogen fluoride? Explain why.


What product would you expect to obtain when reacting ethanal (or acetaldehyde) with potassium cyanide (KCN) in dilute acid? Draw a curly arrow mechanism for this transformation, and determine whether you obtain one enantiomer or a racemic mixture.