nonhalides

Nonhalides are chemical substances that lack halogen atoms in their molecular structure. The term distinguishes them from halides, compounds in which at least part of the molecule contains a halogen such as fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine, or astatine.

Inorganic nonhalides include oxides, sulfides, nitrides, carbides, and hydrides that do not contain halogens. Examples are water (H2O), silicon dioxide (SiO2), alumina (Al2O3), iron(III) oxide (Fe2O3), sodium oxide (Na2O), silicon carbide (SiC), and boron nitride (BN).

Organic nonhalides comprise hydrocarbons and other carbon-containing compounds that have no halogen substituents. Common examples include methane (CH4), ethane (C2H6), benzene (C6H6), ethanol (C2H5OH), and acetone (C3H6O).

Because they lack halogens, nonhalides exhibit a wide range of properties and reactivities. They can be nonpolar or polar, reactive with oxygen or water in some cases, and they generally do not form metal halide salts under normal conditions. Their absence of halogens influences environmental behavior and handling.

Applications span ceramics, electronics, fuels, and organic synthesis, where nonhalide materials provide structural, insulating, or reactant roles without introducing halogen-derived hazards or byproducts.

See also Halide, Halogen, Non-halogenated compound.