1.

Give the mechanism of chlorination of methane. 

Answer»

It is a free radical chain reaction.

1.  Chain initiation: Chlorine molecule undergoes hemolytic fission in the presence of diffused sunlight to form chlorine free radicals.

Cl2 →  2Cl

2. Chain propagation: The chlorine free radical abstracts a hydrogen atom from a methane molecule to form methyl free radical.

CH4 + Cl →  CH3 . + HCl 

Methyl radical combine with another Cl2 molecule forming chloromethane.

3.  Chain termination:  It stops when two radicals combine to form a stable covalent molecule.

CH3 + Cl  CH3Cl

CH3  + CH3 → CH3-CH3

Cl + Cl  Cl2



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