# What will be the major product of of the Wurtz reaction of 3,6-dibromocyclohexa-1,4-diene? Tags: organic-chemistry, reaction-mechanism, halides - Score: 7 - Views: 3130 - Answers: 3 - Answered: yes - Asked by: claws (973 rep) - Asked: 2013-01-14 - Edited: 2018-07-11 - Site: chemistry ## Question According to me, the answer should be (A) because that's a Wurtz reaction, but the answer given in the book is (B). ## Answers ### Answer by Ben Norris (score: 8 [ACCEPTED]) The answer is (B) because (B) is benzene, which is the prototypical aromatic hydrocarbon. The aromaticity of (B) increases its thermodynamic stability relative to (A), which is called Dewar benzene (mistakenly attributed to James Dewar), which is notoriously difficult to synthesis and isolate. It reverts back to benzene with a half-life of two days. Generally, if a pathway exists for a reaction to produce an aromatic product, then the reaction likely will do so. In this particular case, the diradical intermediate that might be produced as part of the Wurtz reaction's mechanism, is the triplet excited state of benzene. ### Answer by Nick (score: 4) From Wikipedia: Since the reaction involves free radical