An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics

A class of molecules that contain at least one → halogen atom bonded to → carbon. Organohalogens are abundant on the Earth where they are mainly produced through industrial and biological processes. They have been proposed as → biomarkers in the search for life on → exoplanets.

Simple halogen hydrides have been detected in → interstellar medium sources and in → comets. → Methyl chloride (CH₃Cl), the most abundant organohalogen in the Earth’s atmosphere, has both → natural and → synthetic production pathways (Fayolle et al., 2017, Nature Astronomy 1, 703).

See also: From organo-, → organ, + → halogen.