Introduction to Alkyl Halides

An alkyl halide is another name for a halogen-substituted alkane. The carbon atom, which is bonded to the halogen atom, has sp3 hybridized bonding orbitals and exhibits a tetrahedral shape. Due to electronegativity differences between the carbon and halogen atoms, the σ covalent bond between these atoms is polarized, with the carbon atom becoming slightly positive and the halogen atom partially negative. Halogen atoms increase in size and decrease in electronegativity going down the family in the periodic table. Therefore, the bond length between carbon and halogen becomes longer and less polar as the halogen atom changes from fluorine to iodine.