Alkyl halides when treated with sodium metal in dry ethereal (moisture free) solutions give higher molecular alkanes. Branched and long chains alkanes are more conveniently obtained.

When mixture of 1-iodo-2-methylpropane and 2-iodopropane is treated with sodium it gives mixture of three products formed by intermolecular and intramolecular reaction as follows:

The above reaction is an example of Wurtz reaction.