Is halogenation of alkane a oxidative process?

1 Answer
anor277
Mar 22, 2018

This is certainly FORMALLY an oxidation reaction....

Explanation:

And let us consider the radical halogenation of methane....and put in oxidation numbers....

underbrace(CH_4)_"C(-IV)"+underbrace(Cl_2)_"Cl(0)"rarrunderbrace(CH_3Cl(g))_"C(-II)"+ HCl(g)

Carbon has been OXIDIZED (a formal 2 electron oxidation) by the chlorine oxidant to give 2xxCl^-...as the reduction half....

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