Ketones, Clemmensen reduction

However, most frequently used methods for reduction of aromatic ketones to hydrocarbons are, as in the case of other ketones, Clemmensen reduction [160, 161, 758, 843, 844] Procedure 31, p. 213), Wolff-Kizhner reduction [280,281,282, 759, 774,845] Procedure 45, p. 216), or reduction of p-toluene-sulfonylhydrazones of the ketones with lithium aluminum hydride [811, 812] or with borane and benzoic acid [786]. 

KETONES AND ALCOHOLS FROM ORGANOBORANES 1. PHENYL HEPTYL KETONE 2. HEX-ANOL 3. 1-OCTANOL,53, 77 Ketones, Clemmensen reduction of, 53, 89... 

Zinc amalgam hydrogen iodide Methylene groups from ketones Clemmensen reduction under ultrasonication... 

Clemmensen reduction Aldehydes and ketones may generally be reduced to the corresponding hydrocarbons by healing with amalgamated zinc and hydrochloric acid. 

Note. Hydrocarbons such as ethyl-benzene can also be prepared by the Clemmensen reduction of the corresponding ketone. This is exemplified by the reduction of methylacetophenone (p. 290)]. 

Clemmensen reduction of aldehydes and ketones. Upon reducing aldehydes or ketones with amalgamated zinc and concentrated hydrochloric acid, the main products are the hydrocarbons (>C=0 —> >CHj), but variable quantities of the secondary alcohols (in the case of ketones) and unsaturated substances are also formed. Examples are ... 

Unsaturated hydrocarbons are present in nearly all products of the Clemmensen reduction of aromatic ketones and must be removed, if the hydrocarbon is requiral pure, by the above process. Secondary alcohols, often produced m small amount are not appreciably steam-volatile. 

The ester and catalj st are usually employed in equimoleciilar amounts. With R =CjHs (phenyl propionate), the products are o- and p-propiophenol with R = CH3 (phenyl acetate), o- and p-hydroxyacetophenone are formed. The nature of the product is influenced by the structure of the ester, by the temperature, the solvent and the amount of aluminium chloride used generally, low reaction temperatures favour the formation of p-hydroxy ketones. It is usually possible to separate the two hydroxy ketones by fractional distillation under diminished pressure through an efficient fractionating column or by steam distillation the ortho compounds, being chelated, are more volatile in steam It may be mentioned that Clemmensen reduction (compare Section IV,6) of the hj droxy ketones affords an excellent route to the substituted phenols. 

The most commonly used method for reducing an aryl ketone to an alkylbenzene employs a zinc-mercury amalgam m concentrated hydrochloric acid and is called the Clemmensen reduction Zinc is the reducing agent... 

Clemmensen reduction (Section 12 8) Method for reducing the carbonyl group of aldehydes and ketones to a methylene... 

Both the Wolff-Kishner and Clemmensen reductions of a, -unsaturated ketones give olefins. There has been considerable confusion concerning the exact product composition in the case of A -3-ketones. Wolff-Kishner reduction gives A" -, 5a-A - and 5 -A -olefins, and, depending on the substrate reaction conditions and work-up, any one or more of these may be isolated. (See ref. 287 for a recent review of the Wolff-Kishner reduction.)... 

By application of the Clemmensen reduction,aldehydes and ketones 1 can be converted into the corresponding hydrocarbons 2. As the reducing agent zinc amalgam, together with concentrated hydrochloric acid or gaseous hydrogen chloride, is used. 

The Clemmensen reduction can be formulated to proceed by a sequence of one-electron and proton transfer reactions. It is a heterogenous reaction, taking place at the zinc surface. Initially an electron is transferred from zinc to the carbonyl group of ketone 1, leading to a radical species 3, which is presumed to react further to a zinc-carbenoid species 4 ... 

Another important synthetic method for the reduction of ketones and aldehydes to the corresponding methylene compounds is the Woljf-Kishner reduction. This reaction is carried out under basic conditions, and therefore can be applied for the reduction of acid-sensitive substrates it can thus be regarded as a complementary method. The experimental procedure for the Clemmensen reduction is simpler however for starting materials of high molecular weight the Wolff-Kishner reduction is more successful. 

Amino ketone (37) was needed for a study of the influence of nitrogen atoms on the Clemmensen reduction of ketones. How might it be synthesised ... 

Amalgamated zinc residues isolated from Clemmensen reduction of an alkyl aryl ketone in glacial acetic acid were pyrophoric, and had to be immediately dumped into water after filtration to prevent ignition. 

Ketone dineopentyl-, preparation of, 54, 97 Ketone, heptyl phenyl, 53, 78 Ketones, alkylation of, 54, 48 Clemmensen reduction of, 53,... 

For the reduction of aliphatic ketones to hydrocarbons several methods are available reduction with triethylsilane and boron trifluoride [772], Clemmensen reduction [160, 758] (p. 28), Wolff-Kizhner reduction [280, 281, 759] (p. 34), reduction of p-toluenesulfonylhydrazones with sodium borohydride [785], sodium cyanoborohydride [57i] or borane [786] (p. 134), desulfurization of dithioketals (jaeicaipioles) [799,823] (pp. 130,131) and electroreduction [824]. 

Reduction of a,/3-unsaturated to saturated ketones was further achieved by electrolysis in a neutral medium using copper or lead cathodes (yields 55-75%) [766], with lithium in propylamine (yields 40-65%) [876], with potassium-graphite clathrate CgK (yields 57-85%) [807], and with zinc in acetic acid (yield 87%) [688]. Reduction with amalgamated zinc in hydrochloric acid (Clemmensen reduction) usually reduces both functions [877]. 

Reduction of a, -unsaturated ketones to unsaturated hydrocarbon is rather rare, and is almost always accompanied by a shift of the double bond. Such reductions are accomplished in good to high yields by treatment of the p-toluenesulfonylhydrazones of the unsaturated ketones with sodium borohydride [785], borane [786] or catecholborane [559], or by Wolff-Kizhner reduction or its modifications [590]. However, complete reduction to saturated hydrocarbons may also occur during Wolff-Kizhner reduction [597] as well as during Clemmensen reduction [750]. 

Ketones containing sulfur or nitrogen atoms bound to a-carbons suffer carbon-sulfur or carbon-nitrogen bond cleavage under the conditions of the Clemmensen reduction [159, 864 (p. 118). A ketosulfone was reduced to a sulfone-alcohol with zinc in refluxing 80% acetic acid in 70% yield [920]. 

The Clemmensen reduction of j8-diketones (1,3-diketones) is rather complicated. The first step in the reaction of 2,4-pentanedione with zinc amalgam is an intramolecular pinacol reduction leading to a cyclopropanediol. Next the cyclopropane ring is opened in the acidic medium, and a rearrangement followed by a reduction gives the final product, a ketone, with a changed carbon skeleton [924, 925]. The ketone is usually accompanied by small amounts of the corresponding hydrocarbon [924] or an a-hydroxy ketone [925]. 

Clemmensen reduction of ketones in anhydrous organic solvents. Vedejs, E., Org. Reactions 22,401 (1975). 

A related abnormal Clemmensen reduction is found with ketone a-thioethers, as... 

Selective reduction of aldehydes or ketones, either by Clemmensen reduction (see Section 5.7.17) or Woljf-Kishner reduction (see Section 5.7.18) yields alkanes. 

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