The Wurtz reaction is an organic chemical coupling reaction that is used to form alkanes. In this reaction, two different alkyl halides are coupled to yield a longer alkane chain with the help of sodium and dry ether solution. The general form of the Wurtz reaction equation can be written as follows: 2R-X + 2Na → R-R + 2Na+ X–, where R is an alkyl group and X is a halogen. The mechanism of this reaction involves free radicals, allowing for the possibility of side reactions that lead to the formation of alkenes as the product. The carbon-carbon bond is formed in a nucleophilic substitution reaction in this reaction mechanism, which can be broken down into the following 3 steps:
- R-X + Na → R• + Na+X-
- R• + Na → R-Na+
- R-Na+ + R-X → R-R + Na+X-
A reaction related to the Wurtz Reaction in which aryl halides are used instead of alkyl halides is often called the Wurtz-Fittig reaction and is a very important named reaction in organic chemistry. The Wurtz reaction is an important reaction that is used for the preparation of symmetrical alkanes.
