An industrial chemist wants to produce ethanoic acid starting from methyl magnesium bromide. Which substance must be reacted with the Grignard reagent first?
Q1. An industrial chemist wants to produce ethanoic acid starting from methyl magnesium bromide. Which substance must be reacted with the Grignard reagent first?
Answer: Carbon dioxide
Explanation: Grignard reagents react with dry ice (solid CO2) to form carboxylic acids. Formaldehyde is tempting but yields primary alcohols instead of acids.