Acetaldehyde reduction

After biochemical conversion of glucose to pyruvic acid intermediate, the next step in ethanol synthesis is nonoxidative decarboxylation and acetaldehyde formation catalyzed by a native decarboxylase, and then acetaldehyde reduction to ethanol catalyzed by a native dehydrogenase. 

Fig. 45 Non-enzymatic acetaldehyde reduction. Adapted from [251] with permission of The Royal...

Ethanol oxidation was tested in 0.2 M glycine-NaOH at pH 9.5, and acetaldehyde reduction was tested in 0.2 M potassium phosphate at pH 7. 

Note cautiously the characteristic odour of acetaldehyde which this solution possesses. Then with the solution carry out the following general tests for aldehydes described on p. 341 Test No. I (SchiflF s reagent). No. 3 (Action of sodium hydroxide). No. 4 (Reduction of ammoniacal silver nitrate). Finally perform the two special tests for acetaldehyde given on p. 344 (Nitroprusside test and the Iodoform reaction). 

In absolute ethanol solution, the ethyl ether and the corresponding hydrocarbon are formed, the latter by reduction of the diazonium compound by the ethanol, which is itself oxidised to acetaldehyde ... 

The small quantity of 6-cthylquinaldine probably arises by the acetaldehyde attacking the />-position of the aniline to give the />-CHsCH(OH) C H4-NH-group, either in the aniline itself or in one of the intermediates, followed by both cyclisation and reduction. 

Reduction of ammoniacal silver nitrate. Place about 5 ml. of AgNOj solution in a thoroughly clean test-tube, and add 2-3 drops of dil. NaOH solution. Add dil. ammonia solution, drop by drop, until the precipitated silver oxide is almost redissolved, then add 2 - 3 drops of formaldehyde or acetaldehyde. A silver mirror is formed. 

The Pd-catalyzed reductive carbonylation of methyl acetate with CO and H2 affords acetaldehyde. The net reaction is the formation of acetaldehyde from MeOH, CO, and H2P4]. Methyl formate (109) is converted into AcOH under CO pressure in the presence of Lil and Pd(OAc)2[95],... 

Many biological processes involve oxidation of alcohols to carbonyl compounds or the reverse process reduction of carbonyl compounds to alcohols Ethanol for example is metabolized m the liver to acetaldehyde Such processes are catalyzed by enzymes the enzyme that catalyzes the oxidation of ethanol is called alcohol dehydrogenase... 

Reduction. Acetaldehyde is readily reduced to ethanol (qv). Suitable catalysts for vapor-phase hydrogenation of acetaldehyde are supported nickel (42) and copper oxide (43). The kinetics of the hydrogenation of acetaldehyde over a commercial nickel catalyst have been studied (44). 

This process comprises passing synthesis gas over 5% rhodium on Si02 at 300°C and 2.0 MPa (20 atm). Principal coproducts are acetaldehyde, 24% acetic acid, 20% and ethanol, 16%. Although interest in new routes to acetaldehyde has fallen as a result of the reduced demand for this chemical, one possible new route to both acetaldehyde and ethanol is the reductive carbonylation of methanol (85). 

Production of Eastman s entire acetic anhydride requirement from coal allows a reduction of 190,000 m /yr (1.2 million barrels/yr) in the amount of petroleum used for production of Eastman chemicals. Now virtually all of Eastman s acetyl products are made in part from coal-based feedstocks. Before the technology was introduced, these chemicals had been made from petroleum-based acetaldehyde. Reduced dependence on petroleum, much of which must be obtained from foreign sources, is important to maintain a strong domestic chemical industry. 

In this thiamine pyrophosphate-mediated process, ben2aldehyde (29), added to fermenting yeast, reacts with acetaldehyde (qv) (30), generated from glucose by the biocatalyst, to yield (R)-l-phen5l-l-hydroxy-2-propanone (31). The en2ymatically induced chiral center of (31) helps in the asymmetric reductive (chemical) condensation with methylamine to yield (lR,23)-ephedrine [299-42-3] (32). Substituted ben2aldehyde derivatives react in the same manner (80). 

This procedure is representative of a new general method for the preparation of noncyclic acyloins by thiazol ium-catalyzed dimerization of aldehydes in the presence of weak bases (Table I). The advantages of this method over the classical reductive coupling of esters or the modern variation in which the intermediate enediolate is trapped by silylation, are the simplicity of the procedure, the inexpensive materials used, and the purity of the products obtained. For volatile aldehydes such as acetaldehyde and propionaldehyde the reaction Is conducted without solvent in a small, heated autoclave. With the exception of furoin the preparation of benzoins from aromatic aldehydes is best carried out with a different thiazolium catalyst bearing an N-methyl or N-ethyl substituent, instead of the N-benzyl group. Benzoins have usually been prepared by cyanide-catalyzed condensation of aromatic and heterocyclic aldehydes.Unsymnetrical acyloins may be obtained by thiazol1um-catalyzed cross-condensation of two different aldehydes. -1 The thiazolium ion-catalyzed cyclization of 1,5-dialdehydes to cyclic acyloins has been reported. 

Reaction of an achiral reagent with a molecule exhibiting enantiotopic faces will produce equal quantities of enantiomers, and a racemic mixture will result. The achiral reagent sodium borodeuteride, for example, will produce racemic l-deM/eno-ethanol. Chiral reagent can discriminate between the prochiral faces, and the reaction will be enantioselective. Enzymatic reduction of acetaldehyde- -[Pg.106]

FIGURE 21.2 Experimental apparatus used to measure the standard reduction potential of the indicated redox couples (a) the acetaldehyde/ethanol couple, (b) the fumarate/succi-nate couple, (c) the Fe /Fe" couple. 

Figure 21.2a shows a sample/reference half-cell pair for measurement of the standard reduction potential of the acetaldehyde/ethanol couple. Because electrons flow toward the reference half-cell and away from the sample half-cell, the standard reduction potential is negative, specifically —0.197 V. In contrast, the fumarate/succinate couple and the Fe /Fe couple both cause electrons to flow from the reference half-cell to the sample half-cell that is, reduction occurs spontaneously in each system, and the reduction potentials of both are thus positive. The standard reduction potential for the Fe /Fe half-cell is much larger than that for the fumarate/ succinate half-cell, with values of + 0.771 V and +0.031 V, respectively. For each half-cell, a half-cell reaction describes the reaction taking place. For the fumarate/succinate half-cell coupled to a H Hg reference half-cell, the reaction occurring is indeed a reduction of fumarate. 

Condensation of the intermediate, 16, with acetaldehyde rather than acetone gives the piperidone containing one less methyl group (22). Reduction of the ketone with sodium amalgam... 

A somewhat more complex application of this notion is represented by the CNS stimulant fencamfine (83). Diels-Alder addition of cyclopentadiene and nitrostyrene affords the norbomene derivative, 80. Catalytic hydrogenation reduces both the remaining double bond and the nitro group (81). ° Condensation with acetaldehyde gives the corresponding imine (82) a second reduction step completes the synthesis of fencamfine (83). ... 

In the discussion of benzylamines, we have met medicinal agents that owe their activity to some particular functionality almost without reference to the structure of the rest of the molecule. The hydrazine group is one such function in that it frequently confers monamine oxidase-inhibiting activity to molecules containing that group. Such agents frequently find use as antidepressants. Thus, reduction of the hydrazone of phenyl-acetaldehyde (84) affords the antidepressant phenelzine (85). Similar treatment of the derivative of phenylacetone (86) gives pheniprazine (87). ... 

The synthesis of the E-ring intermediate 20 commences with the methyl ester of enantiomerically pure L-serine hydrochloride (22) (see Scheme 9). The primary amino group of 22 can be alkylated in a straightforward manner by treatment with acetaldehyde, followed by reduction of the intermediate imine with sodium borohydride (see 22 —> 51). The primary hydroxyl and secondary amino groups in 51 are affixed to adjacent carbon atoms. By virtue of this close spatial relationship, it seemed reasonable to expect that the simultaneous protection of these two functions in the form of an oxazolidi-none ring could be achieved. Indeed, treatment of 51 with l,l -car-bonyldiimidazole in refluxing acetonitrile, followed by partial reduction of the methoxycarbonyl function with one equivalent of Dibal-H provides oxazolidinone aldehyde 52. 

---