Grignard reagent

A Grignard Reagent is an alkyl- or aryl- magnesium halide. This reagent is important in the synthesis of carbon-carbon bonds in the Grignard reaction. Grignard reagents undergo reactions with compounds containing carbonyl groups. These reactions create alcohols.

Nucleophilic addition reactions

In reactions involving Grignard reagents, it is important to ensure that no water is present, which would otherwise cause the reagent to rapidly decompose. Thus, most Grignard reactions occur in solvents such as anhydrous ether or tetrahydrofuran, because the oxygen of these solvents stabilizes the magnesium reagent. The reagent may also react with oxygen present in the atmosphere, inserting an oxygen atom between the carbon base and the magnesium halide group. Thus, many of these reactions are carried out in nitrogen or argon atmospheres.

Related Topics:
Ether - Tetrahydrofuran - Nitrogen - Argon

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Grignard reagents react with formaldehyde to form primary alcohols, with other aldehydes to form secondary alcohols, and with ketones to form tertiary alcohols. Quenching a Grignard with dry ice yields the carboxylic acid http://www.orgsyn.org/orgsyn/prep.asp?prep=cv1p0361. The Bouveault aldehyde synthesis is a one-pot chemical reaction that converts a primary alkyl halide to an aldehyde one carbon longer.

Related Topics:
Formaldehyde - Alcohol - Aldehyde - Ketone - Dry ice - Carboxylic acid - Bouveault aldehyde synthesis - Chemical reaction - Alkyl halide

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~