Wolff-Kischner reaction

There are two main synthetic routes to naphthalene the Haworth synthesis and a Diels-Alder approach. In the Haworth synthesis (Scheme 12.1), benzene is reacted under Friedel-Crafts conditions with succinic anhydride (butanedioic anhydride) to produce 4-oxo-4-phenylbutanoic acid, which is reduced with either amalgamated zinc and HCl (the Clemmensen reduction) or hydrazine, ethane-1,2-diol and potassium hydroxide (the Wolff-Kischner reaction) to 4-phenylbutanoic acid. Ring closure is achieved by heating in polyphosphoric acid (PPA). The product is 1-tetraione and reduction of the carbonyl group then gives 1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthalene (tetralin). Aromatization is achieved by dehydrogenation over a palladium catalyst. 

An important reaction of hydrazones is their conversion to alkanes on heating with hydroxide. This is known as the Wolff-Kischner reaction. 

Methylation of carbazole phenolic oxygen has been achieved using dimethyl sulfate without reaction at nitrogen. Demethylation of carbazole methyl ethers has been achieved with hydrobromic acid-acetic acid, boron trichloride,and pyridine hydrochloride. Selective demethylation of methoxyl ortho to an aldehydo function has been achieved using boron trifluoride. ° ° Partial demethylation of 1-methoxy-3-formylcarbazole occurred during Wolff-Kischner reduction." ... 

An indolone comprises a prominent moiety in the dopamine D2 selective antipsychotic agent ziprasidone (32-8). Reduction of the ketonoid carbonyl group on the indoxyl (32-1) under Wolff-Kischner conditions affords the indolone (32-2). Acylation of the product with chloroacetyl chloride in the presence of aluminum chloride then affords the reactive chloroacetyl derivative (32-3). In a convergent sequence, reaction of isothiazolone (32-4) with phosphorus oxychloride leads to... 

Answer The Friedcl-Crafts alkylation reaction is useless in the naphthalene scries because of the polyalkylation that frequently occurs. The best method.of placing an alkyl group on a naphthalene nucleus involves the reduction of a ketone using the Wolff-Kischner or Clemmensen reductions as shown in procedure XVI-7. Thus wc need A. 

Conversion of isatins into oxindoles can be achieved by catalytic reduction in acid, or by the Wolff-Kischner process.3-Substituted indoles result from Grignard addition at the ketone carbonyl, followed by lithium aluminium hydride reduction of the residual amide, then dehydration. The reaction of isatin with triphenylphosphine provides an easy synthesis of 3-(triphenylphosphorylidene)oxindole, a Wittig reagent. ... 

The stability of dialkyl-acetals and -ketals to neutral and alkaline reaction conditions generally parallels that of dioxo-lans. Unlike the latter, however, they may decompose to enol ethers at higher temperatures, e.g., during Wolff-Kischner reduction [31]. 

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