Practice Problem 1 Solution

There is nothing wrong with the starting material (CH₃CH₂Br) or the product of this reaction (CH₃CH₂MgBr). Nor is there anything wrong with using magnesium metal to form a Grignard. The only place where a mistake could have been made is in the choice of the solvent. The solvent that was used was ethanol (CH₃CH₂OH), whereas the usual solvent for a Grignard reagent is diethyl ether.

Ethanol is a protic solvent which would react instantaneously with the carbanion in a Grignard reagentthereby destroying this reagent.

Click here to return to Practice Problem 1