Question

What do Grignard reagents attack?

Answer 1

Dry ice, ethylene oxide, ketones, and aldehydes.

Explanation:

Still the best way to make a carboxylic acid is to pour a Grignard reagent onto dry ice (and stand well back). This increases the length of the carbon chain by 1 unit. The action of a Grignard on ethylene oxide increases the carbon chain by 2 to give a magnesium alkoxide.

Of course you know the action of Grignards on aldehydes and ketones to give substituted alcohols.

Grignard reagents will not tolerate water or alcohols so these reagents are generally avoided.