A Review on Grignard Reagent

Grignard reagents are highly reactive organomagnesium halides formed by the reaction of magnesium metal with alkyl or alkenyl halides. They are very strong bases and react with acidic hydrogens such as alcohols, water and carboxylic acids. They are generally produced by reacting an aryl halide or an alkyl halide with magnesium. Grignard compounds are popular reagents in organic synthesis for creating new carbon-carbon bonds. For example, when reacted with another halogenated compound R'−X' in the presence of a suitable catalyst, they typically yield R−R' and the magnesium halide Mg-XX' as a by-product; and the latter is insoluble in the solvents normally used. Pure Grignard reagents are extremely reactive solids. They are normally handled as solutions in solvents such as diethyl ether or tetrahydrofuran; which are relatively stable as long as water is excluded. In such a medium, a Grignard reagent is invariably present as a complex with the magnesium. atom connected to the two ether oxygens by coordination bonds. Grignard reagents react with a variety of carbonyl derivatives. The most common application of Grignard reagents is the alkylation of aldehydes and ketones, i.e., the Grignard reaction.