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Why we use the presence of dry ether in wurtz reaction or what is role of dry ether in wurtz reaction

Why we use the presence of dry ether in wurtz reaction or what is role of dry ether in wurtz reaction

Grade:11

7 Answers

GAVEESH bhardwaj
18 Points
10 years ago

ITS ROLE IS AS ACATYLIST

Sudheesh Singanamalla
114 Points
10 years ago

Wurtz reaction is carried out with sodium metal which is highly reactive, hence, we have to select a solvent which will not react with the sodium metal. Thus ether becomes the best choice. Similarly the alkyl halide should also dissolve in the solvent . The sodium halide formed should be insolulbe in the solvent which can be easily removed, and alkane formed should remain in solution,  

it requires an aprotic solvent as the medium of the reaction.Dry ether proves to be a very good non-polar, aprotic solvent for this purpose.HENCE DRY ETHER IS USED.

eg. CH3I ----------> CH3 - CH3  (in presence of Sodium and Dry ether)

Please approve !

harshit gupta
13 Points
4 years ago
Wurtz reaction of ethyl bromide with sodium metal in dry ether(reaction of haloalkane)Ch3ch2br + 2Na + br2hc-ch3~~~~~>ch3ch2ch2ch3 + 2NaBr
Anshul Chaudhary
20 Points
4 years ago
Because Na reacts with less hindered carbon as a nucleophile. And also dry ether is a very good poly-aprotic solvent. Hence, it is a suitable catalyst for this reaction.
Himanshu
11 Points
4 years ago
Dry ether is used to absorb moisture content because metals are highly reactive with water which can form oxide and hydroxides and disturb the reaction .
sagar kelwdakar
15 Points
2 years ago
when methyl bromide react with a sodium metals in presence of dry ether it gives higher ehane and sodium bromide this reaction follow the mechanism of nucliophilic substitution reaction 
 
 
Kushagra Madhukar
askIITians Faculty 629 Points
11 months ago
Dear student,
Please find the answer to your problem.
 
In Wurtz reaction, dry ether, or acetone usually, acts as a solvent. This is taken because, we want the sodium to react with the halogen in the organic compound. The mechanism involved is free Radical as well as anionic mechanism. If any polar solvent like water is used, it will ionize sodium and may result in some oxides or hydroxides of Na or some other ionic reaction to take place, such that sodium halide is not formed.
Hence, we need a solvent that cannot ionize sodium and let the reaction progress in the way we want it to, and dry ether perfectly fits those requirements.
 
Hope it helps.
Thanks and regards,
Kushagra

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