Lithium triethoxyaluminohydride

Reduction of amides to aldehydes was accomplished mainly by complex hydrides. Not every amide is suitable for reduction to aldehyde. Good yields were obtained only with some tertiary amides and lithium aluminum hydride, lithium triethoxyaluminohydride or sodium bis 2-methoxyethoxy)aluminum hydride. The nature of the substituents on nitrogen plays a key role. Amides derived from aromatic amines such as JV-methylaniline [1103] and especially pyrrole, indole and carbazole were found most suitable for the preparation of aldehydes. By adding 0.25 mol of lithium aluminum hydride in ether to 1 mol of the amide in ethereal solution cooled to —10° to —15°, 37-60% yields of benzaldehyde were obtained from the benzoyl derivatives of the above heterocycles [1104] and 68% yield from N-methylbenzanilide [1103]. Similarly 4,4,4-trifluorobutanol was prepared in 83% yield by reduction of N-(4,4,4-trifluorobutanoyl)carbazole in ether at —10° [1105]. 

Better reagents than lithium aluminum hydride alone are its alkoxy derivatives, especially di- and triethoxyaluminohydrides prepared in situ from lithium aluminum hydride and ethanol in ethereal solutions. The best of all, lithium triethoxyaluminohydride, gave higher yields than its trimethoxy and tris(/er/-butoxy) analogs. When an equimolar quantity of this reagent was added to an ethereal solution of a tertiary amide derived from dimethylamine, diethylamine, W-methylaniline, piperidine, pyrrolidine, aziridine or pyrrole, and the mixture was allowed to react at 0° for 1-1.5 hours aldehydes were isolated in 46-92% yields [95,1107], The reaction proved unsuccessful for the preparation of crotonaldehyde and cinnamaldehyde from the corresponding dimethyl amides [95]. 

Of the methods used for converting amides to aldehydes the one utilizing lithium triethoxyaluminohydride is most universal, can be applied to many types of amides and gives highest yields. In this way it parallels other methods for the preparation of aldehydes from acids or their derivatives (p. 148). 

Lithium triethoxyaluminohydride [LTEAH, Li(EtO)3AlH], formed by the reaction of 1 mol of LiAlH4 solution in ethyl ether with 3 mol of ethyl alcohol or 1.5 mol of ethyl acetate, also reduces aromatic and aliphatic tertiary amides to corresponding aldehydes. 

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