Write a note on Grignard Reagent.

Explanation

Most of the organic chlorides, bromides and iodides react with certain metals to give compounds containing carbon - metal bonds. Such compounds are referred as organo - metallic compounds.
Victor Grignard discovered an important class of organo - metallic compounds known as alkyl magnesium halide (RMgX) referred as Grignard Regents.
The Grignard reagents are obtained by the reaction of haloalkanes with magnesium metal in dry ether.
`CH_(3)CH_(2)Br+Mg overset(" Ether ")underset(" (dry) ")rarr underset("Grignard reagent")(CH_(3)-CH_(2)MgBr)`
In the Grignard reagent, the bond between carbon and magnesium is covalent but highly polar, with carbon pulling electrons from electropositive magnesium , the magnesium halogen bond is essentially ionic. `overset(-delta)(R )-overset(+delta)(Mg)-overset(-delta)(X)`
Grignard reagents are highly reactive and react with any source of proton to give hydrocarbons. Even water, alcohols, amines are sufficiently acidic to covert them to corresponding hydrocarbons.

It is therefore necessary to avoid even traces of moisture from a Grignard reagent. That is why the reaction is carried out in a dry ether. This is one of the methods to convert halides to hydrocarbons.