Free radical substitution reactions

The reactions are initiated by  free radicals, The chlorination of methane in the presence of UV light is an example of free radical substitution.

Mechanism :-

Initiation step :-

A chlorine molecule undergoes homolytic fission in the presence of UV light to give chlorine free radicals.

Propagation step :-

A chlorine atom attacks the methane molecule to give methyl free radicals and hydrogen chloride .

The methyl free radical attacks a chlorine atom.

These propagation steps are repeated again and again.

Termination step:-

These involves the formation of stable molecules by combination of free radicals.

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