Aldehydes and Ketones
1.0 Introduction
2.0 Methods of Preparation
2.1 Aldehydes by Oxidation of 1° Alcohol
2.2 Ketones by Oxidation of 2° Alcohol
2.3 Aldehydes by Reduction of Acyl Chlorides, Esters and Nitriles
2.4 Aldehydes from Acyl Halides
2.5 Aldehydes from Esters and Nitriles
2.6 By heating calcium salt of fatty acids
2.7 Hydroboration of Alkynes
2.8 Hydration of Alkynes
2.9 Gattermann-Koch Reaction
2.10 Gattermann Reaction
2.11 Freidel Crafts Acylation
2.12 By Oxidation of Alkyl Benzenes
2.13 Etard’s Reaction
3.0 Physical Properties
4.0 Relative Reactivities of Carbonyl Compounds
4.1 Relative Reactivities towards Nucleophilic addition
4.2 Rate of Nucleophilic Substitution
4.3 Reactivitiy Considerations
5.0 Addition of Carbon Nucleophiles
6.0 Haloform Reactions
7.0 Aldol Condensations
8.0 Claisen Condensation
9.0 Intramolecular Claisen Condensation
9.1 Dieckmann Condensation
9.2 Perkin Reaction
9.3 Mechanism:
9.4 Knoevenagel Reaction
9.5 Mechanism
10.0 Cannizzaro Reaction
11.0 Reformatsky Reaction
12.0 Addition of Nitrogen Nucleophiles
12.1 Mechanism and pH dependence of Rate of Reaction of Imine (>C = N-) Formation
12.2 Addition of Secondary Amines: Formation of Enamine
12.3 Mechanism for Enamine Formation
12.4 Addition of Ammonia: Reductive Amination
13.0 Addition of Oxygen Nucleophile
13.1 Addition of Water
13.2 Mechanism
13.3 Mechanism for Acid-Catalysed Hydrate Formation
13.4 Addition of Alcohols
13.5 Mechanism for the Reaction
13.6 Acid-Catalyzed Hemiacetal Formation
13.7 Base-Catalyzed Hemiacetal Formation
13.8 Acid-Catalyzed Acetal Formation
13.9 Acetals are Protecting Groups
14.0 Addition of Sulphur Nucleophile
15.0 Oxidation of Aldehydes And Ketones
15.1 Tollen’s Reagent
15.2 Fehling Solution
15.3 Benedict’s Solution
15.4 Schiff’s Reagent
15.5 Baeyer-Villiger Oxidation
15.6 Oppenauer Oxidation
15.7 Oxidation of Aldehydes And Ketones With $S{O_2}$
16.0 Reduction of Aldehyde and Ketones
16.1 Addition of Hydride Ion
16.2 Meerwein-Ponndorf-Verley Reduction
16.3 The Wolf Kishner Reduction
16.4 Mechanism for Wolff-Kishner
16.5 Clemmensen Reduction
17.0 Other Reactions Of Aldehydes And Ketones
17.1 Wittig Reaction
17.2 Pinacol-Pinacolone Rearrangement
17.3 Benzoin Condensation
17.4 Schimdt Reaction
17.5 Benzilic acid Rearrangement
17.6 The Beckmann Rearrangement
17.7 Reaction of Formaldehyde with Ammonia
17.3 Benzoin Condensation
2.2 Ketones by Oxidation of 2° Alcohol
2.3 Aldehydes by Reduction of Acyl Chlorides, Esters and Nitriles
2.4 Aldehydes from Acyl Halides
2.5 Aldehydes from Esters and Nitriles
2.6 By heating calcium salt of fatty acids
2.7 Hydroboration of Alkynes
2.8 Hydration of Alkynes
2.9 Gattermann-Koch Reaction
2.10 Gattermann Reaction
2.11 Freidel Crafts Acylation
2.12 By Oxidation of Alkyl Benzenes
2.13 Etard’s Reaction
4.2 Rate of Nucleophilic Substitution
4.3 Reactivitiy Considerations
9.2 Perkin Reaction
9.3 Mechanism:
9.4 Knoevenagel Reaction
9.5 Mechanism
12.2 Addition of Secondary Amines: Formation of Enamine
12.3 Mechanism for Enamine Formation
12.4 Addition of Ammonia: Reductive Amination
13.2 Mechanism
13.3 Mechanism for Acid-Catalysed Hydrate Formation
13.4 Addition of Alcohols
13.5 Mechanism for the Reaction
13.6 Acid-Catalyzed Hemiacetal Formation
13.7 Base-Catalyzed Hemiacetal Formation
13.8 Acid-Catalyzed Acetal Formation
13.9 Acetals are Protecting Groups
15.2 Fehling Solution
15.3 Benedict’s Solution
15.4 Schiff’s Reagent
15.5 Baeyer-Villiger Oxidation
15.6 Oppenauer Oxidation
15.7 Oxidation of Aldehydes And Ketones With $S{O_2}$
16.2 Meerwein-Ponndorf-Verley Reduction
16.3 The Wolf Kishner Reduction
16.4 Mechanism for Wolff-Kishner
16.5 Clemmensen Reduction
17.2 Pinacol-Pinacolone Rearrangement
17.3 Benzoin Condensation
17.4 Schimdt Reaction
17.5 Benzilic acid Rearrangement
17.6 The Beckmann Rearrangement
17.7 Reaction of Formaldehyde with Ammonia
The benzoin condensation is essentially a dimerisation of two aromatic aldehydes under the catalytic influence of cyanide ions to give benzoin (I).
The hydrogen atom attached to the carbonyl group of aldehyde is not active enough to be removed easily but the addition of the cyanide ion to the carbonyl carbon places this hydrogen in the alpha position of the nitrile thus rendering it relatively acidic. The carbanion, thus generated, attacks the carbonyl carbon of the second aldehyde molecule in a rate-determining step forming an unstable cyanohydrin of benzoin which immediately breaks down into benzoin and hydrogen cyanide.
Benzoin condensation is not catlaysed by hydroxide ion, or by bases in general, but is specifically catalyzed by cyanide ions. This unique catalytic property of cyanide ion is due to (a) its good nucleophilicity which enables it to attack the carbonyl carbon. (b) its ability to stabilize the carbanion, and (c) the ease with which cyanide ion departs in the last step.