{"id":1568,"date":"2017-10-12T13:37:58","date_gmt":"2017-10-12T13:37:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-mcc-organicchemistry\/?post_type=chapter&p=1568"},"modified":"2018-10-05T19:17:33","modified_gmt":"2018-10-05T19:17:33","slug":"it-is-important-to-have-more-than-one-way-to-carry-out-a-reaction","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-mcc-organicchemistry\/chapter\/it-is-important-to-have-more-than-one-way-to-carry-out-a-reaction\/","title":{"raw":"It Is Important to Have More Than One Way to Carry Out a Reaction","rendered":"It Is Important to Have More Than One Way to Carry Out a Reaction"},"content":{"raw":"
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\u00a0The reaction of aldehydes and ketones with zinc amalgam (Zn\/Hg alloy) in concentrated hydrochloric acid, which reduces the aldehyde or ketone to a hydrocarbon, is called Clemmensen reduction.<\/div>\r\n
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Introduction<\/h3>\r\nThis alternative reduction involves heating a carbonyl compound with finely divided, amalgamated zinc in a hydroxylic solvent (often an aqueous mixture) containing a mineral acid such as HCl. The mercury alloyed with the zinc does not participate in the reaction, it serves only to provide a clean active metal surface.\r\n\r\n\"1.jpg\"\r\n\r\n\"\"\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
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Example<\/h3>\r\n\"2.jpg\"\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n \r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n
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Possible mechanism<\/h3>\r\nThe mechanism of Clemmensen reduction is not fully understood; intermediacy of radicals are implicated. Clemmensen reduction is complementary to Wolff-Kishner reduction<\/a>, which also converts aldehydes and ketones to hydrocarbons, in that the former is carried out in strongly acidic conditions and the latter in strongly basic conditions.\r\n\r\n\"http:\/\/www2.chemistry.msu.edu\/faculty\/reusch\/VirtTxtJml\/Images2\/clemsen2.gif\"\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
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References<\/h3>\r\n
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  1. Clemmensen, E. Ber. Dtsch. Chem. Ges.<\/em> 1913<\/strong>, 46<\/em>, 1837\u20131843.<\/li>\r\n \t
  2. Clemmensen, E. Ber. Dtsch. Chem. Ges.<\/em> 1914<\/strong>, 47<\/em>, 51\u201363.<\/li>\r\n \t
  3. Clemmensen, E. Ber. Dtsch. Chem. Ges.<\/em> 1914<\/strong>, 47<\/em>, 681\u2013687.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
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    Contributors<\/h3>\r\n