Wurtz Synthesis

Abstract This reaction is a sodium‐mediated coupling of two alkyl halides into a higher order of hydrocarbon and is generally known as the Wurtz synthesis. Analogously, the coupling between an alkyl halide and a Grignard reagent is referred to as the Grignard–Wurtz coupling. It has been reported that the Wurtz synthesis might not proceed through a radical mechanism during the stage of radical formation and the coupling of two alkyl moieties. Furthermore, alkanes and olefins observed in the Wurtz synthesis might arise from the abstraction of a proton from alkyl halide by the alkyl sodium and the elimination of a proton from the carbanion, respectively, rather than the disproportionation of the alkyl radical. It has been reported that the Wurtz synthesis can be interrupted at the stage of alkyl sodium when alkyl halide is mixed with an excess amount of sodium at low temperature. The Wurtz synthesis has been extended to synthesize diamond via a reduction‐pyrolysis catalysis route. This reaction has been applied for the preparation of carbon‐based polymers and organostannane‐organosilane copolymer.