Question

Give the mechanism of chlorination of methane ​

Answer 1

Explanation:

One of the hydrogen atoms in the methane has been replaced by a chlorine atom, so this is a substitution reaction. ... The mechanism involves a chain reaction. During a chain reaction, for every reactive species you start off with, a new one is generated at the end - and this keeps the process going

Here you go⚡

Answer 2

Answer

Hologenation of alkanes take place via free radicals chain mechanism in presence of sunlight or UV light mechanism.

$\bigstar$ Chain inition :

• The reaction is initiated by homolytic fission of chlorine molecules by absorption of light or heat.

$\sf Cl - Cl \: \: \underset{homolysis}{ \xrightarrow{ \text{ \: \: hv \: \: }}} \: \: \dot Cl + \dot Cl$

$\bigstar$ Chain propagation :

• Chlorine free radicals attacks methane molecule to generate methyl free radicals.

$\sf CH_4 + \dot Cl \: \: {\xrightarrow{\text{hv}}} \: \: \dot CH_3 + HCl$

• Methyl free radicals attacks another molecule of chlorine to form CH₃ - Cl with the formation of another chlorine free radicals.

$\sf \dot CH_3 + Cl - Cl \to CH_3 - Cl + \dot Cl$

Both steps are repeated until all the hydrogen atoms of methane are replaced with chlorine atoms.

$\sf CH_3Cl + \dot Cl \to \dot CH_2Cl + HCl$

$\sf \dot CH_2Cl + Cl - Cl \to CH_2Cl_2 + \dot Cl$

$\bigstar$ Chain termination :

• The reaction stops due to consumption of reactants or due to some side reaction.

$\sf \dot Cl + \dot Cl \to Cl_2$

$\sf\dot CH_3 + \dot Cl \to CH_3 - Cl$

$\sf H_3 \dot C +\dot CH_3 \to CH_3 - CH_3$