Question

How do Grignard reagents react with alcohols?

Answer 1

Directly:

`R-MgX + HO-R' rarr R-H+ XMgOR'`

Explanation:

Alcohol and Grignard gives magensium alkoxide and the alkane of whatever alkyl halide was used to make the Grignard.

This reaction is not so pointless as it may seem. Suppose, for another experiment, I wanted to label an alkane (say methane) with a deuterium (`""^2H" or "D`) nucleus, to give `H_3C-D`. I could take methyl magnesium bromide and quench it with `D_2O`. Heavy water is relatively cheap; certainly it is much cheaper than buying the labelled alkane. It would also get your lazy graduate students off the computer and into the lab.