Reaction of alkyl halide with ammonia is called ammonolysis reaction. C6H5CH2Cl
NH3
⟶
C6H5CH2NH2 Carbon-halogen bond in alkyl or benzyl halides can be easily cleaved by a nucleophile. Hence, an alkyl or benzyl halide on reaction with an ethanolic solution of ammonia undergoes nucleophilic substitution reaction in which the halogen atom is replaced by an amino (−NH2) group. This process of cleavage of the C−X bond by ammonia molecule is known as ammonolysis.