Question

Write the balanced equation for the reaction of C₆H₅MgBr with benzaldehyde.

Answer 1

C6H5MgBr + C6H5CHO à C6H5(C-OH-H)C6H5

But to get balanced equation we need to account for MgBr therefore we can write equation as follows,

C6H5MgBr + C6H5CHO +HCl àà C6H5(C-OH-H)C6H5 + MgBrCl

This is classic Grignard reagent reaction. The Grignard reaction is an organometallic chemical reaction in which alkyl, vinyl, or aryl-magnesium halides (Grignard reagents) add to a carbonyl group in an aldehyde or ketone. This reaction is an important tool for the formation of carbon–carbon bonds. The Grignard reagent functions as a nucleophile, attacking the electrophilic carbon atom that is present within the polar bond of a carbonyl group