Question:

Explain the reason for the fusion of an organic compound with metallic sodium for testing nitrogen, sulphur and halogens.

Updated On: Nov 17, 2023
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Solution and Explanation

Nitrogen, sulphur, and halogens are covalently bonded in organic compounds. For their detection, they have to be first converted to ionic form. This is done by fusing the organic compound with sodium metal. This is called “Lassaigne's test“. The chemical equations involved in the test are

\(Na+C+N→NaCN\)

\(Na+S+C+N→NaSCN\)

\(2Na+S→Na_2S\)

\(Na+X→NaX(X=CI,Br,I)\)

Carbon, nitrogen, sulphur, and halogen come from organic compounds.

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Top Questions on Organic Chemistry- Some Basic Principles and Techniques

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Concepts Used:

Organic Chemistry – Some Basic Principles and Techniques - Reaction Mechanism

SN1 Reaction Mechanism:

SN1 reaction mechanism takes place by following three steps –

  • Formation of carbocation 
  • Attack of nucleophile 
  • Deprotonation 

SN2 Reaction Mechanism:

The SN2 reaction mechanism involves the nucleophilic substitution reaction of the leaving group (which generally consists of halide groups or other electron-withdrawing groups) with a nucleophile in a given organic compound.

Electrophilic Aromatic Substitution Reaction Mechanism:

The mechanism of an electrophilic aromatic substitution reaction contains three main components which are:

  1. A new sigma bond from C=C is formed during the reaction in the arene nucleophile.
  2. Due to the breaking of the C-H sigma bond, a proton is removed.
  3. The C=C bond is reformed and it restores the aromaticity of the compound.

Electrophilic Substitution Reaction Mechanism:

The electrophilic substitution reaction mechanism is composed of three steps, which will be discussed more below.

  • Electrophile Generation
  • Carbocation Formation
  • Proton Removal