Definitive evidence of diffusing radicals in grignard reagent formation

摘要

In reactions of magnesium with alkyl halides (RX) in ether solvents (SH), intermediate alkyl radicals (R) reduce to Grignard reagent (r), couple and disproportionate (c), and attack the solvent (s). Possible mechanisms can be distinguished by the roles assigned to adsorption and diffusion for these steps. In an "A" (adsorption) step, the radicals remain adsorbed at the magnesium surface until they react.