How do Grignard reagents react with ketones to form tertiary alcohols?

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organohalogen compound Vinyl chloride is an organohalogen compound that has important industrial applications. When treated with certain catalysts, vinyl chloride monomers undergo polymerization and form the larger compound known as polyvinyl chloride, or PVC. PVC is used in the manufacture of numerous products, including packaging films and water pipes.

Grignard reagents (RMgX) are highly reactive organometallic compounds that function as strong nucleophiles, behaving similarly to carbanions.12

When a Grignard reagent reacts with a ketone, the nucleophilic carbon of the reagent attacks the electrophilic carbonyl carbon of the ketone. This addition process forms a new carbon-carbon bond, resulting in an intermediate alkoxide. Subsequent treatment with aqueous acid protonates this intermediate to yield a tertiary alcohol.132

This reaction is a fundamental tool in synthetic organic chemistry for assembling complex carbon skeletons. While the reaction with formaldehyde produces primary alcohols and other aldehydes produce secondary alcohols, the specific use of ketones is the standard method for synthesizing tertiary alcohols.13