Question

Haloarenes are less reactive than haloalkanes and haloalkenes. Explain.

Answer 1

Haloarenes and haloalkenes are less reactive than haloalkanes.

• This is due to partial double bond character achieved due to resonance

• Now, the more the number of the resonating structures higher will be the stability of the compound and the lesser will be the reactivity.
• In haloarenes, more resonating structures are observed than the haloalkenes. Hence, haloarenes are less reactive than haloalkenes.
• In haloalkanes, this $C-X$ bond is purely a single bond due to no resonance.

Additional information:

• Aryl halide (also known as haloarene) is an aromatic compound in which one or more hydrogen atoms, directly bonded to an aromatic ring are replaced by a halide.
• Haloalkanes and haloarenes are the hydrocarbons in which one or more hydrogen atoms have been replaced with halogen atoms.