BRAINCAKEFree Radical Substitution
The halogenation of alkanes takes place by a mechanism called free radical substitution and can be considered to take place in three steps:
- initiation
- propagation
- termination
Sign in free to see the rest of this lesson, the R.E.C.I.P.E. recall steps and the quiz
BrainCake is free. Make an account in seconds and pick up where this page stops.
Key terms in this lesson
- free radical
- A species with an unpaired electron.
- homolytic fission
- The breaking of a covalent bond in which each bonding atom takes one electron from the bonded pair, forming two free radicals.
More in Alkanes
- Crude Oil
- Cracking and Reforming
- Complete Combustion
- Incomplete Combustion
- Oxides of Sulfur and Nitrogen
- Catalytic Converters
- Alternative Fuels
All 8 lessons in Alkanes · All OCR A-level Organic Chemistry topics