Grignard reagents alcohols from

Grignard additions to carbonyl compounds are especially useful because they can be used to prepare primary, secondary, or tertiary alcohols  

Grignard Reagents React with Formaldehyde to Give a Primary Alcohol 

Grignard Reagents React with All Other Aldehydes to Give Secondary Alcohols 

Grignard Reagents React with Ketones to Give Tertiary Alcohols 

Specific examples of these reactions are shown here. 

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Symmetrical alcohols can in fact be made in one step from Grignard reagents and esters, as the reaction first produces the aldehyde 57 which is more electrophilic than the ester and so reacts again. There is a warning here Aldehydes cannot be made by acylation of Grignard reagents with esters. But if two reactions are wanted, this is a good method. 

Acetic formic anhydride has been prepared by the reaction of formic acid with acetic anhydride2 3 and ketene,4,5 and of acetyl chloride with sodium formate.6 The present procedure is essentially that of Muramatsu.6 It is simpler than others previously described and gives better yields. It is easily adapted to the preparation of large quantities, usually with an increase in yield. Acetic formic anhydride is a useful intermediate for the formyl-ation of amines,3,7 amino acids,8,9 and alcohols,2,10 for the synthesis of aldehydes from Grignard reagents,11 and for the preparation of formyl fluoride.12... 

Alcohols, aldehydes, ketones and carboxylic acids can be prepared from Grignard reagents. ArMgBr, and organolithium compounds, ArLi. by reaction with molecules with an electron-delicieni site. 

The free monomeric hydroxy aldehydes are difficult to obtain by hydrolysis of the oximes. Bromomagnesium enolates prepared from Grignard reagents and sterically hindered ketones act as true Grignard reagents. /3-keto alcohols are formed by their reaction with aldehydes or ketones. ... 

Reaction of allylic alcohols with Grignard reagents. The reaction of n-propyl-magnesium bromide with allylic alcohols in the presence of catalytic amounts of dichlorobis(triphenylphosphine)nickel leads to a mixture of olefins derived from the alcohol 2 for example ... 

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