Although the behavior of phenylsodium and phenyl magnesium bromide are similar, the organosodium compound is very rarely used.

Centrifugation allowed for the isolation of pure phenylsodium which appears as a yellowish-white amorphous powder which readily bursts into flames.

While phenyllithium forms a monomeric adduct with PMDTA, phenylsodium exists as a dimer, reflecting the larger radius of sodium.

This complex could be isolated as solid crystals which were soluble in ether and remained stable in solution at room temperature for several days.

Phenyllithium is able to stabilize phenylsodium in a ratio as high as 1:24 Li:Na, although this produces an insoluble mass which could be still used for reactions.

The formation of stilbene is implicates radical intermediates like those proposed in the Wurtz-Fittig reaction mechanism.