Chemistry
Reactivity of Grignard Reagents with Carbonyl Compounds
Quick fact
The Grignard reaction was discovered in 1900 by Victor Grignard, who won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1912 for this work. It remains one of the most important reactions in organic synthesis.
Why this is interesting
Imagine you could build a carbon-carbon bond as easily as snapping LEGO bricks together. That's exactly what Grignard reagents allow chemists to do with carbonyl compounds—turning simple aldehydes and ketones into complex alcohols in one step.