Addition of Grignard reagents to dry ice followed by hydrolysis gives carboxylic acids while that of organolithium compounds under similar conditions gives ketones. Explain.

Explanation

Sine electronegativity of Li (E.N.=1.0) is lower than that of Mg(E.N.=1.2), therefore, organolithium compounds are more nucleophilic than grignard reagents. As a result, organolithium compounds not only add to the more reactive `CO_(2)` but also the the less reactive resonance stabilized lithium salt of carboxylic acid thus formed to yield ketones.

Grignard reagents, on the other hand, being less nucleophilic add only to the more reactive `CO_(2)` but not to the less reactive resonance stabilized magnesium salt of the carboxylic acid from which carboxylic acid can be generated by hydrolysis with mineral acids.
.