Question

Write a short note on Wurtz-Fittig reaction.

Answer 1

1. The Wurtz-Fittig reaction is a hybrid coupling reaction between an aryl halide and an alkyl halide.
2. It involves the use of sodium metal as a reducing agent.
3. Sodium metal facilitates the removal of halogen atoms from both aryl and alkyl halides.
4. This results in the formation of a new carbon-carbon bond between an aromatic ring and an alkyl group.
5. The reaction produces alkylated aromatic compounds.
6. It is carried out under anhydrous conditions typically with heating.
7. The mechanism involves the formation of intermediate organosodium compounds or radicals that couple to give the product.
8. The Wurtz-Fittig reaction is useful for synthesizing alkyl-substituted aromatic compounds, combining features of Wurtz reaction (alkyl-alkyl coupling) and Fittig reaction (aryl-aryl coupling).
9. When a haloarene is heated with an ethereal solution of an alkyl halide in the presence of sodium, the alkyl group replaces the halogen atom of the haloarene, resulting in a higher arene. The Wurtz-Fittig process is used to prepare higher homologues of benzene. 
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