College

The reaction of nitriles with a Grignard reagent forms carboxylic acids.

A. True
B. False

Answer :

Final answer:

The reaction of nitriles with Grignard reagents forms ketones, not carboxylic acids. Grignard reagents attack the electrophilic carbon in nitriles to create an imine salt, which is then hydrolyzed to a ketone. Therefore, the statement is false.


Explanation:

Reactions of Nitriles with Grignard Reagents

The statement that the reaction of nitriles with Grignard reagents forms carboxylic acids is False. Instead, Grignard reagents react with nitriles to produce ketones.

When a Grignard reagent (such as RMgX) encounters a nitrile (RC≡N), it attacks the electrophilic carbon in the nitrile. This results in the formation of an imine salt after several steps. Subsequently, during an aqueous work-up, this imine salt undergoes hydrolysis to yield a ketone (R'CO-R).

Example Reaction

For instance, if you start with acetonitrile (CH₃CN) and react it with methylmagnesium bromide (CH₃MgBr), the product after hydrolysis will be acetone (CH₃COCH₃).

In contrast, nitriles can be converted to carboxylic acids via hydrolysis when treated with aqueous acid or base, but this is a different reaction pathway. Thus, Grignard reagents do not lead to carboxylic acids when reacting with nitriles but instead to ketones.


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