What is ammonolysis of halides commonly known as?

Hofmann ammonolysis

The correct answer is option 2. Hofmann ammonolysis.

The Hofmann ammonolysis, named after the German chemist August Wilhelm von Hofmann, is a chemical reaction commonly used to synthesize primary amines from alkyl halides, especially primary and secondary alkyl halides. Let's break down the reaction and its mechanism:

In the Hofmann ammonolysis reaction, an alkyl halide (such as an alkyl chloride or alkyl bromide) reacts with ammonia (NH3) to produce a primary amine.

The general reaction can be represented as follows:

\(\text{R-X} + \text{NH}_3 \rightarrow \text{R-NH}_2 + \text{HX} \)

where R represents an alkyl group, X represents a halogen atom (Cl or Br), and HX is the corresponding hydrogen halide (HCl or HBr).

The Hofmann ammonolysis reaction is particularly useful for synthesizing primary amines from alkyl halides. The selectivity of this reaction favors the formation of primary amines, making it valuable in organic synthesis. Secondary alkyl halides can also undergo Hofmann ammonolysis to yield secondary amines, albeit with lower efficiency compared to primary alkyl halides.

The Hofmann ammonolysis reaction is widely used in the pharmaceutical, agrochemical, and fine chemical industries for the synthesis of various primary amines, which serve as key intermediates in the production of diverse organic compounds.

The Hofmann ammonolysis reaction is an important synthetic tool for the preparation of primary amines from alkyl halides.