Aluminum amalgam azides

Reductions with aluminum are carried out almost exclusively with aluminum amalgam. This is prepared by immersing strips of a thin aluminum foil in a 2% aqueous solution of mercuric chloride for 15-60 seconds, decanting the solution, rinsing the strips with absolute ethanol, then with ether, and cutting them with scissors into pieces of approximately 1 cm [141,142]. In aqueous and non-polar solvents aluminum amalgam reduces cumulative double bonds [143], ketones to pinacols [144], halogen compounds [145], nitro compounds [146, 147], azo compounds [148], azides [149], oximes [150] and quinones [151], and cleaves sulfones [141, 152, 153] and phenylhydrazones [154] (Procedure 30, p. 212). 

Lithium aluminum hydride reduced )J-azidoethylbenzene to j8-aminoethyl-benzene in 89% yield [600], The azido group was also reduced with aluminum amalgam (yields 71-86%) [149], with titanium trichloride (yields 54-83%) [601], with vanadous chloride (yields 70-95%) [217] Procedure 40, p. 215), with hydrogen sulfide (yield 90%) [247], with sodium hydrosulfite (yield 90%) [259], with hydrogen bromide in acetic acid (yields 84-97%) [232], and with 1,3-propanedithiol (yields 84-100%) [602]. Unsaturated azides were reduced to unsaturated amines with aluminum amalgam [149] and with 1,3-propane-dithiol [602]. 

Aluminum amalgam (Al/Hg) is also a useful reagent that is most commonly employed for hydrogenolysis of sulfur compounds.533 Reduction of sulfoxides is an important application,534 as is reduction of sulfones. Aluminum amalgam reduces the a-phenylsulfonyl moiety in 554 to give lactone 555 in 68% yield.535 Aluminum amalgam has also been used for reduction of nitro compounds to the amine,536 and reduction of azides to the amine.532... 

Sodium aluminum chloride, 435 Sodium amalgam, 310, 416-417 Sodium amide-Sodium r-butoxide, 417-418 Sodium azide-Triphenylphosphine, 418 Sodium bis(2-methoxyethoxy)aluminum hydride, 166,418-420 Sodium borohydiidc, 323,420-421 Sodium borohydride-Alumina, 421 Sodium borohydride-Bis(2,4-pentane-dionato)copper(ll), 421 Sodium borohydride-Cerium(Ill) chloride,... 

Silver trifluoroacetate, 327, 328 Silyl ethers, 477-478 Simmons-Smith reagent, 436-437 (3-Sinensal, 283 Sirenin, 424 Sodium, 246, 268, 437 Sodium acetate, 578 Sodium aluminum chloride, 438 Sodium aluminum diethyl dihydride, 438 Sodium aluminum hydride, 316 Sodium amalgam, 41,438-439 Sodium amide, 231, 305,403,439 Sodium amide-Sodium f-butoxide, 439-440 Sodium-Ammonia, 26, 32,134, 260,438 Sodium azide, 9, 77, 210, 323, 440-441 Sodium benzoxide, 111 Sodium bis-(2-methoxyethoxy)aluminum hydride, 164, 293, 360,441-442 Sodium bistrimethylsilylamide, 442-443,... 

MERCURIO (Italian, Spanish) (7439-97-6) Violent reaction with alkali metals, aluminum, acetylenic compounds, azides, boron phosphodiiodide (vapor explodes), bromine, 3-bromopropyne, chlorine, chlorine dioxide, ethylene oxide, lithium, metals, methyl silane (when shaken in air), nitromethane, peroxyformic acid, potassium, propargyl bromide, rubidium, sodium, sodium carbide. Forms sensitive explosive products with acetylene, ammonia (anhydrous), chlorine, picric acid. Increases the explosive sensitivity of methyl azide. Mixtures with hot sulfuric acid can be explosive. Incompatible with calcium, sodium acetylide, nitric acid. Reacts with copper, silver, and many other metals (except iron), forming amalgams. 

Sodium-Ammonia, 178, 222, 289 Sodium-Chlorotrimethylsilane, 446 Sodium aluminum chloride, 446 Sodium amalgam, 171, 296 Sodium amide, 446-447 Sodium azide, 287 Sodium bcnzeneselenolate, 447 Sodium bis(2-methoxyethoxy)aluminum hydride, 120, 287, 448-449 Sodium bis(trimethylsilyl)amide,... 

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