Question

Formaldehyde undergoes Grignard reaction to give

• A. Primary alcohol
• B. Secondary alcohol
• C. Tertiary alcohol
• D. Quaternary alcohol

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

The question asks about the product formed when formaldehyde undergoes a Grignard reaction. Let's explore this step by step:

Grignard Reagent Basics:

• A Grignard reagent is an organomagnesium compound typically represented as R-MgX, where R is an organic group and X is a halogen.
• Grignard reagents are highly reactive and act as nucleophiles, which means they can attack electrophilic centers (like carbonyl carbons) in organic molecules.

Formaldehyde:

• Formaldehyde is the simplest aldehyde with the formula \text{HCHO}.
• Its carbonyl carbon is an electrophilic center, making it susceptible to nucleophilic attack.

Grignard Reaction with Formaldehyde:

1. When a Grignard reagent reacts with formaldehyde, the nucleophilic carbon from the Grignard reagent attacks the electrophilic carbon of the formaldehyde.
2. This forms an alkoxide intermediate.
3. The intermediate is then protonated (usually by a dilute acid), leading to the formation of a new alcohol.
4. In the case of formaldehyde, the product is a primary alcohol because the original molecule (formaldehyde) had no alkyl group attached to its carbonyl carbon.

Conclusion:

• When formaldehyde reacts with a Grignard reagent, the result is the formation of a primary alcohol. This is a defining characteristic of formaldehyde reactions because it introduces only one additional carbon group to the molecule.

Correct Answer: Primary alcohol