A chemical compound made of carbon and halogen atoms (like chlorine, fluorine, or bromine), often used in refrigerants and propellants.
From 'halo-' (halogen) + 'carbon'. Emerged in mid-20th century chemistry as scientists synthesized new compounds combining halogens with carbon backbones.
Halocarbons were celebrated as miracle chemicals for decades—CFCs (a type of halocarbon) made refrigerators safe and spray cans convenient—but we later discovered they were destroying the ozone layer, teaching us that clever chemistry can have hidden planetary consequences.
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