Very Crude BzCl -> Grignard ??

[Bwiti]

Provided that the Mg used is fresh turnings, could a Grignard be made from the crude benzyl chloride produced from bubbling HCl through benzene/zinc chloride(Yes, I'm talking about after the benzyl chloride's washed and dried). I know that a little benzene won't hurt, but I don't know about biproducts like benal chloride and trichloride??
Love my country, fear my government.

[Rhodium]

?? You cannot make benzyl chloride from benzene/ZnCl₂ - what did you intend to write?

Anyhow, trying to use dirty precursors in a grignard is just asking for side-reactions (polymerization with polyhalogenated derivatives happens pretty easily).
Entropy just isn't what it used to be.

[Bwiti]

I was talking about the chloromethylation of benzene synth on your site(

https://www.thevespiary.org/rhodium/Rhodium/chemistry/benzylchloride.html

), or from T.S.2. - Washing the produced benzyl chloride, drying it, and making a Grignard from it without distilling it. So, I guess I'm better off just using the BzCl in a benzaldehyde synth.
Love my country, fear my government.

[Aurelius]

Hey Bwiti, you needed some formaldehyde in there somewhere.   are you trying to get around distilling the stuff?  what's the purpose in using crude versus cleaning it before usage?

[Bwiti]

"are you trying to get around distilling the stuff?"

  Yes, but I think I'll at least distill off the benzene before converting the BzCl to benzaldehyde. I have plenty of formaldehyde, but I'd rather use paraformaldehyde to reduce the amount of water in the reaction.
  Hey, I noticed that you found that new allylbenzene synth(from styrene/DMSO). Surprised that hasn't gotten more attention! I'm sure excited about it!
Love my country, fear my government.