Question

Explain the preparation of alkyl halide using thionyl chloride (SOCl₂).

Answer 1

Thionyl chloride reacts with straight-chain primary alcohols to give unrearranged alkyl chloride. The byproducts obtained are gases.

\[\ce{\underset{(Alcohol)}{R - OH} + \underset{(Thionyl chlonde)}{SOCl2}->[\Delta]\underset{(Alkyl chloride)}{R - Cl} + SO2↑ + HCl↑}\]