Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Email
Answers.com

halide

 
(hăl'īd', hā'līd') pronunciation
n.
A chemical compound of a halogen with a more electropositive element or group.


Search unanswered questions...
Enter a question here...
Search: All sources Community Q&A Reference topics

A compound containing one of the halogens [fluorine (F), chlorine (Cl), bromine (Br), iodine (I)] and another element or organic group. Halides have the general formula MxXy, where M is a metal or organic group and X is a halogen. Halides are composed of almost every element in the periodic table, and they are referred to as fluorides, chlorides, bromides, or iodides. See also Halogen elements; Periodic table.

The halides are divided into classes that reflect the nature of bonding between the halogen and metal or organic species. The bonding of halides ranges from purely ionic to essentially covalent. The classes include ionic halides, molecular halides, halides and halogens that behave as ligands in coordination complexes, and organic halides.

Ionic halides such as sodium chloride (NaCl) and potassium chloride (KCl) are prepared from the vigorous reaction of the alkali and alkaline-earth metals with the halogens. These compounds possess high melting and boiling points and are soluble in very polar solvents. Ionic halides are extremely important to the chemical industry, where they are used to produce commodity chemicals such as sodium hydroxide (NaOH), hydrochloric acid (HCl, a hydrogen halide), and potassium nitrate (KNO3).

The organic halides are divided into the alkyl halides (haloalkanes) and the aryl halides. The alkyl halides have the general formula RX, where R is any alkyl group and X is one of the halogens; for example, 1-chlorobutane (CH3CH2CH2CH2Cl). Halides are good leaving groups in nucleophilic substitution reactions and are good nucleophiles. The aryl halides are compounds where the halogen is attached directly to an aromatic ring and have the general formula ArX, where Ar is an aromatic group. See also Coordination chemistry; Coordination complexes; Electrophilic and nucleophilic reagents; Halogenated hydrocarbon; Halogenation.


or halogenide
  1. an anion of any halogen.
  2. a salt of any halogen acid (halogen hydride).
  3. any compound containing halogen atoms in organic linkage.

Previous:half-wave potential, half-transporter, half-time of exchange
Next:hallucinogen, halo+, halochromism

A compound of a halogen with an element or radical.

A halide is a binary compound, of which one part is a halogen atom and the other part is an element or radical that is less electronegative (or more electropositive) than the halogen, to make a fluoride, chloride, bromide, iodide, or astatide compound. Many salts are halides. All Group 1 metals form halides which are white solids at room temperature.

A halide ion is a halogen atom bearing a negative charge. The halide anions are fluoride (F), chloride (Cl), bromide (Br), iodide (I) and astatide (At). Such ions are present in all ionic halide salts.

See chloride, bromide, fluoride, and iodide

Contents

Tests

Halide compounds such as KCl, KBr and KI can be tested with silver nitrate solution, AgNO3. The halogen will react with Ag+ and form a precipitate, with varying colour depending on the halogen:

  • AgF: No Precipitate
  • AgCl: White
  • AgBr: Creamy (Pale Yellow)
  • AgI: Green (Yellow)

For organic compounds containing halides, the Beilstein test is used.

Uses

Metal halides are used in high-intensity discharge lamps called metal halide lamps, such as those used in modern street lights. These are more energy-efficient than mercury-vapor lamps, and have much better colour rendition than orange high-pressure sodium lamps. Metal halide lamps are also commonly used in greenhouses or in rainy climates to supplement natural sunlight.

Halides are also used in solder paste, commonly as a Cl or Br equivalent.[1]

Compounds

Examples of halide compounds are:

See also

References


 
 
Related topics:
erbium halide (inorganic chemistry)
modified Lewis acid (physical chemistry)
high-intensity discharge lamp

Related answers:
What is an alkanoyl halides? Read answer...
Is iodine a halide? Read answer...
What is an allylic halides? Read answer...

Help us answer these:
Why vinyl halides are less reactive than alkyl halides?
What are halogen halides?
What are molecular halides?

Post a question - any question - to the WikiAnswers community:

 

Copyrights:

American Heritage Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
McGraw-Hill Science & Technology Encyclopedia. McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science and Technology. Copyright © 2005 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
 Oxford Dictionary of Biochemistry. Oxford University Press. Oxford Dictionary of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology © 1997, 2000, 2006 All rights reserved.  Read more
Saunders Veterinary Dictionary. Saunders Comprehensive Veterinary Dictionary 3rd Edition. Copyright © 2007 by D.C. Blood, V.P. Studdert and C.C. Gay, Elsevier. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia on Answers.com. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article Halide Read more

Follow us
Facebook Twitter
YouTube

Mentioned in

» More» More