Final answer:
Tert-butyl chloride reacts with sodium iodide in a nucleophilic substitution reaction, producing tert-butyl iodide and sodium chloride.
Step-by-step explanation:
Yes, tert-butyl chloride does react with sodium iodide. This reaction is an example of a nucleophilic substitution reaction where the iodide ion serves as a nucleophile and displaces the chloride ion from the tert-butyl chloride. This type of reaction is particularly favorable in polar solvents. As per the concept of reactivity in the halogen group, although iodine is less reactive than chlorine in general, the iodide ion is a better nucleophile than the chloride ion in these substitution reactions, which can result in the formation of tert-butyl iodide.
The overall reaction for this substitution is:
R-Cl + NaI → R-I + NaCl
Where R represents the tert-butyl group. This reaction is commonly performed in a polar solvent such as acetone, which facilitates the reaction by stabilizing the ions.