Article révisé par les pairs
Résumé : A general mechanism for atomic halogenation reactions is considered, which is supposed to comprise all possible reactions steps in a great variety of cases. The kinetic analysis of this mechanism leads to the well‐known equations showing that the rate of these reactions may depend on the power 1/2, 1 or 3/2 of the halogen concentration. Rough estimates of activation energies and entropies of the elementary steps permit one to foresee the rate equation which must be expected in most specific cases and what changes may be caused by varying the experimental conditions (temperature, partial pressure). Similarity, the rules governing the competition of addition and substitution are given. Further it is shown that in many cases a halogen substitution reaction may undergo a fundamental change in mechanism, a sensitized dehydrohalogenation replacing the substitution reaction at a higher temperature and a lower halogen concentration. Copyright © 1956 Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim