 When lithium is used, the reaction occurs with appreciable yield only under ultrasound.Ultrasound is known to cleave halogen atoms from aryl and alkyl halides "via" a free radical mechanism

The Wurtz–Fittig Reaction has limited applicability since side reactions such as rearrangements and eliminations are prevalent.However, the reaction is useful for the laboratory synthesis of organosilicon compounds, although there are challenges in adapting the procedure to a large-scale industrial process.