Tetrahalomethanes are fully halogenated methane derivatives of general formula CBr_kCl_lF_mI_nAt_p, where:

k+l+m+n+p=4

Tetrahalomethanes are on the border of inorganic and

organic Organic may refer to: * Organic, of or relating to an organism, a living entity * Organic, of or relating to an anatomical organ Chemistry * Organic matter, matter that has come from a once-living organism, is capable of decay or is the product ...

chemistry, thus they can be assigned both inorganic and organic names by IUPAC: tetrafluoromethane - carbon tetrafluoride, tetraiodomethane - carbon tetraiodide, dichlorodifluoromethane - carbon dichloride difluoride. Each

halogen The halogens () are a group in the periodic table consisting of five or six chemically related elements: fluorine (F), chlorine (Cl), bromine (Br), iodine (I), astatine (At), and tennessine (Ts). In the modern IUPAC nomenclature, this group is ...

( F, Cl, Br, I, At) forms a corresponding halomethane, but their stability decreases in order CF₄ > CH₄ > CCl₄ > CBr₄ > CI₄ from exceptionally stable gaseous tetrafluoromethane with bond energy 515 kJ.mol⁻¹ to solid

tetraiodomethane Carbon tetraiodide is a tetrahalomethane with the molecular formula CI4. Being bright red, it is a relatively rare example of a highly colored methane derivative. It is only 2.3% by weight carbon, although other methane derivatives are known with s ...

, depending on bond energy. Many mixed halomethanes are also known, such as CBrClF₂.

Uses

Fluorine, chlorine, and sometimes bromine-substituted halomethanes were used as

refrigerant A refrigerant is a working fluid used in the heat pump and refrigeration cycle, refrigeration cycle of air conditioning systems and heat pumps where in most cases they undergo a repeated phase transition from a liquid to a gas and back again. Ref ...

s, commonly known as

CFCs Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) are fully or partly halogenated hydrocarbons that contain carbon (C), hydrogen (H), chlorine (Cl), and fluorine (F), produced as volatile derivatives of methane, ethane, and propan ...

(chlorofluorocarbons).

Uses

See also