Question

What is the name of the following reaction?

Answer 1

Hint: As we know that in the given reaction electrophilic aromatic substitution reaction is taking place because haloarenes are somewhat less reactive than benzene towards electrophilic substitution reaction of benzene ring due to negative inductive effect of halogen atom which decreases the electron density.


Complete solution:
As we know that the halogen atom which is attached to benzene ring is ortho and para directing as it stabilises the arenium ions which is an intermediate in the electrophilic aromatic substitution reaction, this is due to the fact that haloarenes are less reactive than benzene towards this reaction. We also know that haloarenes undergo halogenation, nitration, sulphonation and Friedel-crafts reactions.
Now, we can see in the above given reaction that the Haloarenes react with metals like sodium in the presence of dry ether and result in the formation of diarenes. This reaction is commonly called a Fitting reaction where two molecules of haloarenes like chlorobenzene react with two molecules of sodium metal and result in the formation of diarene like diphenyl and sodium chloride in the given reaction.
We can show the example of Fittig reaction with the help of a chemical reaction as given below:

Therefore, the correct answer is Fittig reaction is the name of the given reaction.


Note: Remember that there is a similar reaction where a mixture of haloarene and haloalkane reacts with sodium metal in the presence of dry ether under similar conditions resulting in the formation of an alkyl arene and sodium chloride. This reaction is commonly called by the name Wurtz-Fittig reaction.