10.1021/ja01262a003
The study investigates the Wurtz reaction, focusing on the formation and behavior of organosodium compounds. It explores the carbonation of isopropylsodium and the microscopic examination of coatings formed on sodium when reacting with various alkyl chlorides. The research also improves conditions for isolating the first phase of the Wurtz reaction, demonstrating that primary halides form a loose coating on sodium, while secondary halides create a more impenetrable one. The study concludes that the first phase likely involves the formation of an organosodium intermediate, and it discusses the difficulties in separating the first and second phases of the reaction. The chemicals involved include sodium, alkyl chlorides (such as n-propyl, n-butyl, n-amyl, and s-butyl chlorides), and various solvents like n-octane and petroleum ether. The roles of these chemicals are to form organosodium compounds and to study their interactions and stability under different conditions.