Why ether in grignard reaction

Reactions using the Grignard reagent must use an ether as the solvent. Organolithium reactions also require aprotic solvents, but ethers are not required and alkanes can be used as solvents. The resulting reaction mixture is used directly for the next reaction.

There are no separation and isolation procedures between reaction steps. Organometallic reagents react with water or any protic solvent to produce alkanes. For this reason, everything has to be very dry during the preparation above.

The term dry means that no water or other protonated solvents are present. There is still a liquid ether solvent. A suitable solvent must be used. For alkyl lithium formation pentane or hexane are usually used. What is the general formula of a carboxylic acid?

What is a carboxyl group? What is an alkane? What is the formula of the ethyl group? What is a functional group in organic chemistry? A small laboratory ultrasonic bath can be used to initiate the Grignard reaction of alkyl or aryl bromides in regular laboratory-quality, undried, diethyl ether and in simple undried test tubes.

The reaction typically starts within 30 to 45 seconds and is self-sustaining. Yields and products are the same as obtained with carefully dried ether and equipment. We normally run this reaction at the 1. View Author Information. Cite this: J. Article Views But Grignard reagents are stable in ethers. The formation of ions in very nonpolar solvents, where they would not be effectively solvated is very difficult. Ethers are surprisingly good at solvating cations, because the C-O bond is relatively polar, thus allowing the oxygen end of the ether dipole to solvate and stabilize electrostatically the magnesium ion.