Grignard reaction template

Dry three-neck flask with stir bar, pressure-equalising dropping funnel, reflux condenser with drying tube and N₂ inlet. University / A-level extension.

What the template shows

• Make RMgX from an organic halide and magnesium in dry ether, with water kept out
• Drying tube
• CaCl₂; moist air must not reach the Grignard reagent
• Dropping funnel
• Pressure-equalising; the halide in dry ether, added dropwise to keep a gentle reflux
• Flame- or oven-dried flask
• Mg turnings and a crystal of iodine; the brown colour fades as the reaction starts
• Stirrer plate
• Keep an ice-water bath ready: the reaction is exothermic
• Water out
• Reflux condenser
• Ether (bp 35 °C) refluxes from the heat of reaction; no flames in the lab
• Cold water fills the jacket from below
• Slow flow of dry N₂, out through the condenser. Many teaching labs use the CaCl₂ tube alone
• Reaction setup

Drawn with 18 shapes – every one editable in MolDraw.

Sources

• Clayden, Greeves & Warren, Organic Chemistry, 2nd ed., OUP 2012, ch. 9 Textbook
• Furniss et al., Vogel's Textbook of Practical Organic Chemistry, 5th ed., Longman 1989 Textbook