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Organic Chemistry

Blazing goIITian

Joined:	6 Aug 2007
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19 Nov 2008 12:39:15 IST

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wurtz reaction carried out in dry ether why??? why ether??

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wurtz reaction carried out in dry ether

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SOMNATH

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Joined: 2 Nov 2008

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19 Nov 2008 23:06:46 IST

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Wurtz reaction is an Sn2 reaction .

So, 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 USE.

student9_iit

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19 Nov 2008 23:20:22 IST

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if water is used as a solvent then we get alkane..and that is not the product that we want.Thus we use ether.

hjpotter92

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20 Nov 2008 10:57:55 IST

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But there are other solvents also....

I will explain (try to)

Wurtz was a scientist he tried to find out why somechemicalssmell while the others don't. Thus, he experimented and xidently inventedthe Wurtz Reaction.

Madhusudan Chavan

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Joined: 9 Mar 2007

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21 Nov 2008 15:46:42 IST

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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, hence ether is the best choice.

From the mechanistic apporach also the free radical as well as SN2 reaction , the non-aqueous non-polar solvent is the right choice.

saishiva

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28 Sep 2011 08:47:28 IST

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its followed by free radical mechanism not sn2 if no medium is used it results in dissociation

New kid on the Block

Joined: 17 Mar 2012

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17 Mar 2012 00:35:39 IST

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Isn't eher polar protic and favor sn1

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