Chemistry > Aldehydes and Ketones > 16.0 Reduction of Aldehyde and Ketones

  Aldehydes and Ketones
    1.0 Introduction
    2.0 Methods of Preparation
    3.0 Physical Properties
    4.0 Relative Reactivities of Carbonyl Compounds
    5.0 Addition of Carbon Nucleophiles
    6.0 Haloform Reactions
    7.0 Aldol Condensations
    8.0 Claisen Condensation
    9.0 Intramolecular Claisen Condensation
    10.0 Cannizzaro Reaction
    11.0 Reformatsky Reaction
    12.0 Addition of Nitrogen Nucleophiles
    13.0 Addition of Oxygen Nucleophile
    14.0 Addition of Sulphur Nucleophile
    15.0 Oxidation of Aldehydes And Ketones
    16.0 Reduction of Aldehyde and Ketones
    17.0 Other Reactions Of Aldehydes And Ketones

16.1 Addition of Hydride Ion

Addition of hydride ion $\left( {from{\text{ }}NaB{H_4}or{\text{ }}LiAl{H_4}} \right)$ to an aldehyde or ketone forms an oxyanion that can subsequently be protonated by adding water or a weak acid to the reaction mixture. The overall reaction is addition of ${H_2}to{\text{ }} > C{\text{ = }}O$ group. The addition of $H2$ an organic compound is a reduction reaction.

Aldehydes and ketones are reduced using $NaB{H_4}$ as the source of hydride ion. Aldehydes are reduced to primary alcohol and ketones are reduced to secondary alcohol. Notice that the source of protons (water or weak acids) is not added to the reaction mixture until reaction with the hydride donor is complete.

Mechanism: The mechanism of reduction is similar to that of LiAlH4. The reaction proceeds by complexing the oxygen atom of the carbonyl group with boron and simultaneous transfer of the hydride ion to the carbonyl carbon. All the four hydrogens of the reagent are transferred to the four molecules of the substrate. Subsequent hydrolysis gives alcohol.




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