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Edexcel A Level Chemistry

Halogenoalkanes

Halogenoalkanes have a polar carbon–halogen bond that nucleophiles attack.

Exam Papers
Paper 2
9CH0/02
Specification Points
6.5 – 6.36
10 points covered
Sub-topics
5 lessons
Revision notes available
Exam Board
Edexcel
Pearson 9CH0

Revision Notes

5 revision notes, in the order the specification teaches them.

A nucleophile approaching a halogenoalkane
1

Reaction Types, Mechanisms and Nucleophiles

Organic reaction types and mechanisms: addition, elimination, substitution, oxidation, reduction, hydrolysis, polymerisation, curly arrows, heterolytic fission, electrophiles, nucleophiles and bond polarity.

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A halogen on a carbon chain
2

Halogenoalkanes: Naming, Classification and the C–X Bond

Halogenoalkanes: nomenclature and formulae, primary, secondary and tertiary, the polar carbon–halogen bond, bond enthalpies and uses.

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A hydroxide group replacing a halogen on a carbon atom
3

Nucleophilic Substitution Reactions

Nucleophilic substitution of halogenoalkanes: hydroxide, water, ammonia and cyanide as nucleophiles, conditions, products and the curly-arrow mechanism.

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A halogenoalkane losing a small molecule to form a double bond
4

Elimination Reactions of Halogenoalkanes

Elimination of halogenoalkanes: ethanolic KOH, hydroxide as a base, alkene products and isomers, substitution versus elimination.

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Three carbon to halogen bonds getting longer and weaker
5

Rates of Hydrolysis and Bond Enthalpy

Rates of hydrolysis of halogenoalkanes: the silver nitrate experiment, precipitate colours, bond enthalpy trend for C–Cl, C–Br and C–I, and primary, secondary and tertiary comparison.

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Summary Map

Download, print and revise the reactions of this topic at a glance.

Summary maps

Download, print and revise the reactions of this topic at a glance.

Illustration of a summary map: compounds joined by reaction arrows
Summary map · PDF

Halogenoalkanes Map

Edexcel A Level Chemistry · Topic 6D Halogenoalkanes

Every reaction on one A4 page: reagents, conditions and reaction type for each arrow, colour coded, with the key tests.

Download the map7 reactions · A4 landscape · print ready
Illustration of a summary map: compounds joined by reaction arrows
Summary map · PDF

Halogenoalkanes Summary Map

Edexcel A Level Chemistry · Topic 6 Organic Chemistry I · 6D Halogenoalkanes

The whole section on one A4 page: reaction types and nucleophiles, names and classes, substitution by hydroxide, water, ammonia and cyanide, elimination, and rates of hydrolysis.

Download the map6 key ideas + a data table · A4 portrait · print ready

© 2026 Online Learning System. For personal study: printing is allowed; editing, copying and redistribution are not.

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Revision Game

Match reagents to products, free, with your board's reagents and conditions.

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Revision Game: Halogenoalkanes

Turn the cards over two at a time: match reagents to what they make, and find how each product is made.

A free memory game on the reactions in this topic, with your board's reagents, conditions and spec points.

  • Two ways to playMatch each set of reagents to what the reaction makes, or see a product and find the reactant and reagents that make it.
  • Drawn the way the exam draws themEvery structure is drawn in ChemDraw, with the reagents and conditions your exam board asks for.
  • It countsRounds earn XP and keep your streak going, and every correct match shows in your KASP analytics, apart from your marks.

Study Cards

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Specification

Every specification point in this topic, in the exam board's own words. Rate how confident you are with each one.

Official Pearson Edexcel documentsSpecification (opens the Pearson Edexcel website in a new tab)Data booklet (opens the Pearson Edexcel website in a new tab)

Self-assessment · 28 points

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6

  1. A.5 a

    be able to classify reactions as addition

    Revise
  2. A.5 b

    be able to classify reactions as elimination

    Revise
  3. A.5 c

    be able to classify reactions as substitution

    Revise
  4. A.5 d

    be able to classify reactions as oxidation

    Revise
  5. A.5 e

    be able to classify reactions as reduction

    Revise
  6. A.5 f

    be able to classify reactions as hydrolysis

    Revise
  7. A.5 g

    be able to classify reactions as polymerisation

    Revise
  8. C.21

    know what is meant by the term ‘electrophile’

    Revise
  9. C.23

    understand that heterolytic bond fission of a covalent bond results in the formation of ions

    Revise
  10. D.30 a

    know that halogenoalkanes can be classified as primary

    Revise
  11. D.30 b

    know that halogenoalkanes can be classified as secondary

    Revise
  12. D.30 c

    know that halogenoalkanes can be classified as tertiary

    Revise
  13. D.31

    understand what is meant by the term ‘nucleophile’

    Revise
  14. D.32i

    understand the reactions of halogenoalkanes with: aqueous potassium hydroxide to produce alcohols (where the hydroxide ion acts as a nucleophile)

    Revise
  15. D.32ii

    understand the reactions of halogenoalkanes with: aqueous silver nitrate in ethanol (where water acts as a nucleophile)

    Revise
  16. D.32iii

    understand the reactions of halogenoalkanes with: potassium cyanide to produce nitriles (where the cyanide ion acts as a nucleophile) Students should know this as an example of increasing the length of the carbon chain.

    Revise
  17. D.32iv

    understand the reactions of halogenoalkanes with: ammonia to produce primary amines (where the ammonia molecule acts as a nucleophile)

    Revise
  18. D.32v

    understand the reactions of halogenoalkanes with: ethanolic potassium hydroxide to produce alkenes (where the hydroxide ion acts as a base)

    Revise
  19. D.33i

    understand that experimental observations and data can be used to compare the relative rates of hydrolysis of: primary, secondary and tertiary halogenoalkanes

    Revise
  20. D.33ii

    understand that experimental observations and data can be used to compare the relative rates of hydrolysis of: chloro-, bromo-, and iodoalkanes using aqueous silver nitrate in ethanol

    Revise
  21. D.34 a

    know the trend in reactivity of primary halogenoalkanes

    Revise
  22. D.34 b

    know the trend in reactivity of secondary halogenoalkanes

    Revise
  23. D.34 c

    know the trend in reactivity of tertiary halogenoalkanes

    Revise
  24. D.35 a

    understand the trend in reactivity of chloroalkanes in terms of bond enthalpy

    Revise
  25. D.35 b

    understand the trend in reactivity of bromoalkanes in terms of bond enthalpy

    Revise
  26. D.35 c

    understand the trend in reactivity of iodoalkanes in terms of bond enthalpy

    Revise
  27. D.36i

    understand the mechanisms of the nucleophilic substitution reactions between primary halogenoalkanes and: aqueous potassium hydroxide

    Revise
  28. D.36ii

    understand the mechanisms of the nucleophilic substitution reactions between primary halogenoalkanes and: ammonia

    Revise