Electrochemical reduction carbonyl compounds

One development involves the use of vitamin B 2 to cataly2e chemical, in addition to biochemical processes. Vitamin B 2 derivatives and B 2 model compounds (41,42) cataly2e the electrochemical reduction of alkyl haUdes and formation of C—C bonds (43,44), as well as the 2inc—acetic acid-promoted reduction of nitriles (45), alpha, beta-unsaturated nitriles (46), alpha, beta-unsaturated carbonyl derivatives and esters (47,48), and olefins (49). It is assumed that these reactions proceed through intermediates containing a Co—C bond which is then reductively cleaved. 

Two techniques, electrochemical reduction (section IIl-C) and Clem-mensen reduction (section ITI-D), have previously been recommended for the direct reduction of isolated ketones to hydrocarbons. Since the applicability of these methods is limited to compounds which can withstand strongly acidic reaction conditions or to cases where isotope scrambling is not a problem, it is desirable to provide milder alternative procedures. Two of the methods discussed in this section, desulfurization of mercaptal derivatives with deuterated Raney nickel (section IV-A) and metal deuteride reduction of tosylhydrazone derivatives (section IV-B), permit the replacement of a carbonyl oxygen by deuterium under neutral or alkaline conditions. 

The reduction of carbonyl compounds is most often better achieved by electrochemical methods or by using conventional hydride or hydrogenation reactions. Nevertheless the formation of benzpinacol from benzophenone, although now known for more than eighty years, is still a matter of study (4.16) 418>. 

This system fulfills the four above-mentioned conditions, as the active species is a rhodium hydride which acts as efficient hydride transfer agent towards NAD+ and also NADP+. The regioselectivity of the NAD(P)+ reduction by these rhodium-hydride complexes to form almost exclusively the enzymatically active, 1,4-isomer has been explained in the case of the [Rh(III)H(terpy)2]2+ system by a complex formation with the cofactor[65]. The reduction potentials of the complexes mentioned here are less negative than - 900 mV vs SCE. The hydride transfer directly to the carbonyl compounds acting as substrates for the enzymes is always much slower than the transfer to the oxidized cofactors. Therefore, by proper selection of the concentrations of the mediator, the cofactor, the substrate, and the enzyme it is usually no problem to transfer the hydride to the cofactor selectively when the substrate is also present [66]. This is especially the case when the work is performed in the electrochemical enzyme membrane reactor. 

Thus it has been shown that some metal-carbonyl compounds can be activated by electrochemical reduction generating reactive anionic species. Without going into details, it is worth pointing out that the synthesis of aldehydes can be obtained by electrolyzing a stoichiometric mixture of alkyl halides and ironpentacarbonyls (Eq. 17) [124, 125] ... 

The shape of this wave and the variation with pH are both consistent with fast equ-librium reactions In the pH region lower than the value of pK, for the hydroxyl radical, the reactions of this hydroxyl radical dominate the electrochemical process. Controlled potential reduction at the potential of this first wave indicates a IF process and the principal products are dimers of the hydroxyl radical. The second wave in this acidic region is due to addition of an electron and a proton to the neutral radical. This process competes with dimerization in the mid-pH range where the two polarographic waves merge. Over the pH range 7-9, monohydric alcohol is the principal product. At pH <3 or >12, pinacols are the main products. Unsymmet-rical carbonyl compounds afford mixtures of ( )- and meso-pinacols. Data (Table 10.3) for the ( ) / meso isomer ratio for pinacols from acetophenone and propio-phenone indicate different dimerization mechanisms in acid and in alkaline solutions. 

In the presence of excess monoalkylamine, carbonyl compounds in aqueous solution are in equilibrium with the corresponding imine. In most cases these imines cannot be isolated but they are reduced at a less negative potential than the carbonyl compound. Selective reduction of such equilibrium mixtures is a useful route to alkylamines from ketones in yields of 70-90%. The process fails with hindered ketones such as camphor and with bulky amines such as fert.-butyl amine. Overall the reaction has advantages of lower costs and simpler work-up compared to the use of cyanoborohydride reducing agents. In the electrochemical reaction, protonation of carbanion intermediates occurs from the more hindered side and where two isomeric products are fomied, the least hindered amine predominates [193]. 

Cathodic surfaces of finely divided platinum, palladium and nickel have a low hydrogen overvoltage and the dominant electrochemical reaction is the generation of a layer of hydrogen atoms. The electrocatalytic hydrogenation of aldehydes and ketones can be achieved at these surfaces. Cathodes of platinum or palladium black operate in both acid solution [203] and in methanol containing sodium methoxide [204], The carbonyl compound is converted to the alcohol. Reduction of 4-tert-butylcyclohexanone is not stereoselective, however, 1,2-diphenylpropan-l-one is converted to the / reo-alcohol. 

It is known that electrochemical reduction of oximes in protic media occurs in two steps the N—O bond is first reduced to form an imine and the latter is then reduced to afford a primary amine1,29. Tallec has shown that the amine from oxime 33 can be trapped intramolecularly (equation 16)35. Interestingly, the SS diastereomer predominates the chiral pyrrolidine ring derivative serves to control the stereochemistry of formation of the new benzylic chiral center. Electrochemical reductive cross-coupling of O-methyl oximes with carbonyl compounds in isopropanol at a tin cathode affords adducts (equation 17) which can be reduced further to 2-amino alcohols36. In this fashion, menthone could... 

Direct chemical or electrochemical reduction of carbonyl compounds... 

The reduction of carbonyl compounds to form pinacol dimers can be accomplished photochemically, electrochemically or with chemical reducing agents. When conducted under acidic conditions or in protic solvents, pinacols are likely produced by coupling of two neutral ketyl radicals (vs radical anions). The electrochemical reduction is especially complicated in terms of the role of the electrode surface, counterion and solvent, and an excellent review has appeared on the subject32. 

The mechanism of the enantioselective 1,4-addition of Grignard reagents to a,j3-unsaturated carbonyl compounds (Scheme 5 R1 = alkyl R2 = alkyl, OR3), promoted by copper complexes of chiral ferrocenyl diphosphines (180), has been explored using kinetic, spectroscopic, and electrochemical analysis. The roles of the solvent, copper halide, and the Grignard reagent have been thoroughly examined. Kinetic studies support a reductive elimination as the rate-limiting step, in which the chiral catalyst,... 

Electric arcs, in metal vapor synthesis, 1, 224 Electric-field-induced second harmonic generation Group 8 metallocenes, 12, 109 for hyperpolarizability measurement, 12, 107 Electrochemical cell assembly, in cyclic voltammetry, 1, 283 Electrochemical irreversibility, in cyclic voltammetry, 1, 282 Electrochemical oxidation, arene chromium carbonyls, 5, 258 Electrochemical properties, polyferrocenylsilanes, 12, 332 Electrochemical reduction, bis-Cp Zr(III) and (IV) compounds, 4, 745 Electrochemical sensors biomolecule—ferrocene conjugates... 

The electrochemical reduction of carbonyl compounds can also be used for C—C coupling. An example of industrial interest is a new benzanthrone synthesis patented by Ciba 465). If anthraquinone is reduced in 85 % H2S04 in the presence of glycerol, the oxanthrone formed as an intermediate reacts with glycerol to form benzanthrone ... 

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