The reaction of elemental sulphur with Grignard reagent followed by acidification leads to the formation of

Options

A. mercaptan
B. sulphoxide
C. thioether
D. sulphonic acid

Explanation

To solve the question regarding the reaction of elemental sulfur with a Grignard reagent followed by acidification, we can break it down into clear steps:

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Understanding Grignard Reagents**:
Grignard reagents are organomagnesium compounds represented as R-MgX, where R is an alkyl or aryl group and X is a halogen (like bromine). They are highly reactive and act as nucleophiles.

**Hint**: Remember that Grignard reagents can react with electrophiles due to the nucleophilic nature of the R group.

2. **Reaction with Elemental Sulfur**:
When a Grignard reagent (R-MgX) reacts with elemental sulfur (S8), the nucleophilic R group attacks the sulfur. This leads to the formation of a thiolate intermediate (RS-MgX).

**Hint**: Think about how nucleophiles interact with electrophiles; in this case, the sulfur acts as an electrophile.

3. **Formation of Mercaptan**:
The thiolate intermediate (RS-MgX) can then be treated with an acid (H+) during the acidification step. The sulfur atom in the thiolate picks up a proton (H+) from the acid, resulting in the formation of mercaptan (R-SH) and a byproduct (Mg(OH)X).

**Hint**: Acidification typically involves adding a proton to a negatively charged species; here, it converts the thiolate to mercaptan.

4. **Final Product**:
The final product after the acidification is mercaptan (R-SH), which is a type of thiol. This confirms that the reaction of elemental sulfur with a Grignard reagent followed by acidification leads to the formation of mercaptan.

**Hint**: Recall the definition of mercaptans; they are sulfur-containing compounds with the functional group -SH.

### Conclusion:
The correct answer to the question is that the reaction of elemental sulfur with a Grignard reagent followed by acidification leads to the formation of **mercaptan (R-SH)**.