Lithium reductions with

Pure phosphine can be prepared by the reduction of a solution of phosphorus trichloride in dry ether with lithium aluminium hydride ... 

For reduction with lithium aluminium hydride, see Section VI,10. 

Note. Both tetramethylene glycol (1 4-butanediol) and hexamethylene glycol (1 6 hexaiiediol) may be prepared more conveniently by copper-chromium oxide reduction (Section VI,6) or, for small quantities, by reduction with lithium aluminium hydride (see Section VI,10). 

It is of interest to note that reduction of p-nitrostyrene with lithium aluminium hydride (compare Section VI, 10) gives p-phenylethylamine CgHgCHjCHjNHj. 

The following intermediate compounds in some reductions with lithium aluminium hydride have been formulated ... 

Gr. aktis, aktinos, beam or ray). Discovered by Andre Debierne in 1899 and independently by F. Giesel in 1902. Occurs naturally in association with uranium minerals. Actinium-227, a decay product of uranium-235, is a beta emitter with a 21.6-year half-life. Its principal decay products are thorium-227 (18.5-day half-life), radium-223 (11.4-day half-life), and a number of short-lived products including radon, bismuth, polonium, and lead isotopes. In equilibrium with its decay products, it is a powerful source of alpha rays. Actinium metal has been prepared by the reduction of actinium fluoride with lithium vapor at about 1100 to 1300-degrees G. The chemical behavior of actinium is similar to that of the rare earths, particularly lanthanum. Purified actinium comes into equilibrium with its decay products at the end of 185 days, and then decays according to its 21.6-year half-life. It is about 150 times as active as radium, making it of value in the production of neutrons. 

The less hindered f/ans-olefins may be obtained by reduction with lithium or sodium metal in liquid ammonia or amine solvents (Birch reduction). This reagent, however, attacks most polar functional groups (except for carboxylic acids R.E.A. Dear, 1963 J. Fried, 1968), and their protection is necessary (see section 2.6). 

The Birch reductions of C C double bonds with alkali metals in liquid ammonia or amines obey other rules than do the catalytic hydrogenations (D. Caine, 1976). In these reactions regio- and stereoselectivities are mainly determined by the stabilities of the intermediate carbanions. If one reduces, for example, the a, -unsaturated decalone below with lithium, a dianion is formed, whereof three different conformations (A), (B), and (C) are conceivable. Conformation (A) is the most stable, because repulsion disfavors the cis-decalin system (B) and in (C) the conjugation of the dianion is interrupted. Thus, protonation yields the trans-decalone system (G. Stork, 1964B). 

The hydrogenolyaia of cyclopropane rings (C—C bond cleavage) has been described on p, 105. In syntheses of complex molecules reductive cleavage of alcohols, epoxides, and enol ethers of 5-keto esters are the most important examples, and some selectivity rules will be given. Primary alcohols are converted into tosylates much faster than secondary alcohols. The tosylate group is substituted by hydrogen upon treatment with LiAlH (W. Zorbach, 1961). Epoxides are also easily opened by LiAlH. The hydride ion attacks the less hindered carbon atom of the epoxide (H.B. Henhest, 1956). The reduction of sterically hindered enol ethers of 9-keto esters with lithium in ammonia leads to the a,/S-unsaturated ester and subsequently to the saturated ester in reasonable yields (R.M. Coates, 1970). Tributyltin hydride reduces halides to hydrocarbons stereoselectively in a free-radical chain reaction (L.W. Menapace, 1964) and reacts only slowly with C 0 and C—C double bonds (W.T. Brady, 1970 H.G. Kuivila, 1968). 

Thiazole acids may undergo many different types of reduction. Chemical reduction of thiazolecarboxy lic acids and of their derivatives to yield the corresponding alcohols can be accomplished with lithium aluminium hydride in ether solution (53). 

Reduction with sodium in alcohol was unsuccessful (54). The introduction of lithium aluminium hydride has provided an elegant method for the reduction of thiazole esters to hydroxythiazoles for example, ethyl 2-methyl-4-thiazolecarboxylate (11 with lithium aluminium hydride in diethyl ether gives 2-methyl-4-(hydroxymethyl)thiazole (12) in 66 to 69% yield (Scheme 7) (53),... 

Reductions carried out with lithium aluminium hydride are not always so successful. As noted by Sprague (46) the esters of 2-aminothiazole carboxylic acids behave somewhat differently with AlLiH4 (55). 

The reaction of an alkyl halide with lithium is an oxidation-reduction reac tion Group I metals are powerful reducing agents... 

Give the structure of an ester that will yield a mixture contain mg equimolar amounts of 1 propanol and 2 propanol on reduction with lithium aluminum hydride... 

Reduction with lithium aluminum hydride (Sec tion15 3) Lithium alumi num hydride cleaves es ters to yield two alcohols... 

Ethynodiol diacetate (53) is prepared by reduction of the 3-oxo group of norethindrone (28) with lithium tributoxyalurninum hydride, followed by acylation with acetic anhydride-pyridine (78,79). It has been reported that higher yields can be obtained in the reduction step by using triethylanainoalurninum hydride (80). 

Lead Telluride. Lead teUuride [1314-91 -6] PbTe, forms white cubic crystals, mol wt 334.79, sp gr 8.16, and has a hardness of 3 on the Mohs scale. It is very slightly soluble in water, melts at 917°C, and is prepared by melting lead and tellurium together. Lead teUuride has semiconductive and photoconductive properties. It is used in pyrometry, in heat-sensing instmments such as bolometers and infrared spectroscopes (see Infrared technology AND RAMAN SPECTROSCOPY), and in thermoelectric elements to convert heat directly to electricity (33,34,83). Lead teUuride is also used in catalysts for oxygen reduction in fuel ceUs (qv) (84), as cathodes in primary batteries with lithium anodes (85), in electrical contacts for vacuum switches (86), in lead-ion selective electrodes (87), in tunable lasers (qv) (88), and in thermistors (89). 

In general, if the desired carbon—phosphoms skeleton is available in an oxidi2ed form, reduction with lithium aluminum hydride is a powerful technique for the production of primary and secondary phosphines. The method is appHcable to halophosphines, phosphonic and phosphinic acids as well as thein esters, and acid chlorides. Tertiary and secondary phosphine oxides can be reduced to the phosphines. 

AletalHydrides. Metal hydrides can sometimes be used to prepare amines by reduction of various functional groups, but they are seldom the preferred method. Most metal hydrides do not reduce nitro compounds at all (64), although aUphatic nitro compounds can be reduced to amines with lithium aluminum hydride. When aromatic amines are reduced with this reagent, a2o compounds are produced. Nitriles, on the other hand, can be reduced to amines with lithium aluminum hydride or sodium borohydride under certain conditions. Other functional groups which can be reduced to amines using metal hydrides include amides, oximes, isocyanates, isothiocyanates, and a2ides (64). 

Sihca is reduced to siUcon at 1300—1400°C by hydrogen, carbon, and a variety of metallic elements. Gaseous siUcon monoxide is also formed. At pressures of >40 MPa (400 atm), in the presence of aluminum and aluminum haUdes, siUca can be converted to silane in high yields by reaction with hydrogen (15). SiUcon itself is not hydrogenated under these conditions. The formation of siUcon by reduction of siUca with carbon is important in the technical preparation of the element and its alloys and in the preparation of siUcon carbide in the electric furnace. Reduction with lithium and sodium occurs at 200—250°C, with the formation of metal oxide and siUcate. At 800—900°C, siUca is reduced by calcium, magnesium, and aluminum. Other metals reported to reduce siUca to the element include manganese, iron, niobium, uranium, lanthanum, cerium, and neodymium (16). 

Interest in the synthesis of 19-norsteroids as orally active progestins prompted efforts to remove the C19 angular methyl substituent of readily available steroid precursors. Industrial applications include the direct conversion of androsta-l,4-diene-3,17-dione [897-06-3] (92) to estrone [53-16-7] (26) by thermolysis in mineral oil at about 500°C (136), and reductive elimination of the angular methyl group of the 17-ketal of the dione [2398-63-2] (93) with lithium biphenyl radical anion to form the 17-ketal of estrone [900-83-4] (94) (137). 

Another synthesis of the cortisol side chain from a C17-keto-steroid is shown in Figure 20. Treatment of a C3-protected steroid 3,3-ethanedyidimercapto-androst-4-ene-ll,17-dione [112743-82-5] (144) with a tnhaloacetate, 2inc, and a Lewis acid produces (145). Addition of a phenol and potassium carbonate to (145) in refluxing butanone yields the aryl vinyl ether (146). Concomitant reduction of the C20-ester and the Cll-ketone of (146) with lithium aluminum hydride forms (147). Deprotection of the C3-thioketal, followed by treatment of (148) with y /(7-chlotopetben2oic acid, produces epoxide (149). Hydrolysis of (149) under acidic conditions yields cortisol (29) (181). 

Phenylstibine [58266-50-5] C H Sb, has been obtained by the reduction of phenyldiio do stihine [68972-61-2] CgH3l2Sb, (73) or phenyldichlorostibine [5035-52-9] 031130.2, (74) with lithium borohydride. It has also been prepared by the hydrolysis or methanolysis of phenylbis(trimethylsilyl)stibine [82363-95-9] C22H23Si2Sb (75). Diphenylstibine [5865-81-6] C22H22Sb, can be prepared by the interaction of diphenylchlorostibine [2629-47-2] C22H2QClSb, with either Hthium borohydride (76) or lithium aluminum hydride (77). It is also formed by hydrolysis or methanolysis of diphenyl (trimethylsilyl)stibine [69561-88-2] C H SbSi (75). Dimesitylstibine [121810-02-4] h.3.s been obtained by the protonation of lithium dimesityl stibide with trimethyl ammonium chloride (78). The x-ray crystal stmcture of this secondary stibine has also been reported. 

Good yields of phenylarsine [822-65-17, C H As, have been obtained by the reaction of phenylarsenic tetrachloride [29181-03-17, C H AsCl, or phenyldichloroarsine [696-28-6], C3H3ASCI25 with lithium aluminum hydride or lithium borohydride (41). Electrolytic reduction has also been used to convert arsonic acids to primary arsines (42). Another method for preparing primary arsines involves the reaction of arsine with calcium and subsequent addition of an alkyl haUde. Thus methylarsine [593-52-2], CH As, is obtained in 80% yield (43) ... 

Reduction. Coumarin is reduced to o-hydroxycinnamyl alcohol by reaction with lithium aluminum hydride (21). By reaction with diborane coumarin gives o-aUylphenol [1745-81 -9] (22). 

High yields of optically active cyanohydrins have been prepared from hydrogen cyanide and carbonyl compounds using an enzyme as catalyst. Reduction of these optically active cyanohydrins with lithium aluminum hydride in ether affords the corresponding substituted, optically active ethanolamine (5) (see Alkanolamines). 

---