Editing Halocarbon (section)

{{short description|Chemical compound containing carbon and at least one halogen}}
'''Halocarbon''' compounds are [[Chemical compound|chemical compounds]] in which one or more [[carbon]] [[atom]]s are linked by [[covalent bond]]s with one or more [[halogen]] [[atom]]s ([[fluorine]], [[chlorine]], [[bromine]] or [[iodine]]&nbsp;– {{nowrap|[[Group (periodic table)|group]] 17}}) resulting in the formation of [[organofluorine compound]]s, [[organochlorine compound]]s, [[organobromine compound]]s, and [[organoiodine compound]]s. Chlorine halocarbons are the most common and are called [[organochloride]]s.<ref>Yoel Sasson. "Formation of Carbon–Halogen Bonds (Cl, Br, I)" in Patai's ''Chemistry of Functional Groups'' (2009). Wiley-VCH, Weinheim. {{doi|10.1002/9780470682531.pat0011}}</ref>

Many synthetic organic compounds such as [[plastic]] [[polymers]], and a few natural ones, contain halogen atoms; they are known as ''halogenated'' compounds or ''organohalogens''. Organochlorides are the most common industrially used organohalides, although the other organohalides are used commonly in organic synthesis. Except for extremely rare cases, organohalides are not produced biologically, but many pharmaceuticals are organohalides. Notably, many pharmaceuticals such as [[Fluoxetine|Prozac]] have [[trifluoromethyl]] groups.

For information on inorganic halide chemistry, see [[halide]].