Acyl halide - Definition

An acyl halide (also known as an acid halide) is an organic compound containing a carbon atom which is double-bonded to an oxygen atom and singly bonded to a chlorine atom. An example of an acyl halide is acetyl chloride, CH₃COCl.

An acyl halide reacts with:

• water to form a carboxylic acid
• an alcohol to form an ester
• an amine to form an amide