Question

How many compound can be obtained in good yield by wurtz reaction ?

Answer 1

I've gone into the mechanism here. Make sure you read that first...

The Wurtz reaction is based on an `"S"_N2` mechanism. That is a second-order substitution, requiring participation from both the substrate and the nucleophile.

That means it is limited by steric hindrance.

Therefore, the compounds that can be made in the best yield have the least branching. I spot `3` of them that would give great yield...

• n-hexane
• n-butane
• methane

The rest require the following setups:

Again, look for the one with the least steric hindrance, for `"S"_N2`. "Good" is subjective... so the answer is either `3` or `4`.