Why Grignard reagent don't react with alkylhalides ?

1 Answer
Truong-Son N.
Mar 4, 2018

Because, assuming ordinary temperatures where substitution occurs, it'll just make more of itself again...

Grignard reagents are simply #R:^(-)"MgX"^(+)#, where #X = "Br"# is the most optimal, but #X' = "Cl"# could be used. #R# can simply denote alkyl groups.

If you seriously want to react with #R'-"X"'#, you'll just get

#R:^(-)"MgX"^(+) + R'-"X"' -> R-"X"' + R':^(-)"MgX"^(+)#

via second order substitution, which is another Grignard reagent. So you don't get anywhere, really.

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