Question

What happens when chloroethane is reacted with sodium metal in dry ether? Given an example.

Answer 1

Hint: Chloroethane is an alkyl halide, sodium metal is electropositive and dry ether can be used as a solvent or medium in so many chemical reactions. When two moles of chloroethane react with sodium metal in dry ether it gives higher alkane. In this reaction butane can be formed.

Complete answer:
When two moles of alkyl halide are treated with sodium metal in presence of dry ether it gives a higher number of alkanes. This reaction can be named after Charles Adolphe Wurtz. Thus, this reaction can be called the Wurtz reaction.
Wurtz reaction is an important reaction in organic chemistry. It is mainly used for the preparation of higher members of alkanes.
The chemical reaction of chloroethane is reacted with sodium metal in dry ether will be as follows:
\[{C_2}{H_5}Cl + Na + {C_2}{H_5}Cl\xrightarrow{{Dry Ether}}{C_2}{H_5} - {C_2}{H_5} + NaCl\]
In this reaction, the higher alkane formed will have the number of carbon atoms which are equal to the carbon atoms in the two moles of chloroethane.
It is an important preparation of alkanes. Alkanes are very inert and do not undergo addition reactions due to the absence of double bond and triple bond.

Note:
This method can be used for the preparation of alkanes as an industrial method. The only advantage of that reaction is it is used for the preparation of symmetrical alkanes only. The unsymmetrical alkanes cannot be prepared by this method. Thus, in the above reaction also, butane is formed; it is a symmetrical alkane.