Haloarenes are halogen derivatives of aromatic hydrocarbons in which a halogen atom is directly attached to a carbon atom of the aromatic ring. They are also referred to as aryl halides. Haloarenes are produced when a halogen atom replaces a hydrogen atom attached to an aromatic ring.
Examples: Chlorobenzene, Bromobenzene
General Formula: Ar–X, where Ar represents an aryl group, and X is a halogen atom.
The systematic names are derived by adding prefixes like fluoro, chloro, bromo, or iodo to the aromatic hydrocarbon's name.
Example: Chlorobenzene, Bromobenzene
In disubstituted or trisubstituted compounds, the relative positions of substituents are indicated by Arabic numerals or prefixes:
Example: o-Dichlorobenzene, p-Dibromobenzene
Benzene reacts with Cl₂ or Br₂ in the presence of FeCl₃ to form haloarenes, yielding ortho and para isomers.
Example: Benzene + Cl₂ → Chlorobenzene (catalyzed by FeCl₃).
Iodination requires an oxidizing agent (HNO₃ or HIO₄). Due to fluorine's reactivity, fluoro compounds are not prepared this way.
Treating primary aromatic amines with nitrous acid forms diazonium salts. In Sandmeyer's reaction, these salts react with CuCl or CuBr to replace the diazonium group with chlorine or bromine. Iodine substitution occurs with KI, replacing the diazonium group with iodine, yielding haloarenes.
Physical Properties:
State and Color: Typically colorless liquids or crystalline solids.
Chemical Properties:
Low Reactivity in Nucleophilic Substitution Reactions:
Reasons:
Resonance stabilization: Partial double-bond character strengthens the C–X bond.
Hybridization: sp² hybridized carbon increases bond strength due to high electronegativity.
Low polarity: Reduces the release of halide ions.
Electrophilic Substitution: Common at ortho and para positions due to halogen's electron-withdrawing and electron-donating effects.
Examples:
Halogenation: Formation of dihaloarenes.
Nitration: Introduction of nitro groups.
Sulfonation: Reaction with sulfuric acid.
Friedel-Crafts Reactions: Alkylation and acylation.
Fitting Reaction: Formation of diaryl compounds (e.g., diphenyl).
Wurtz-Fitting Reaction: Reaction with alkyl halides to form alkylated aromatic compounds.
Reduction Reactions: Conversion of haloarenes to hydrocarbons using reducing agents like Ni-Al alloy in alkali.
(Session 2025 - 26)