ABSTRACT
Sections 16.3 and 16.7; Chapter 18, Section 18.1) • how to identify acyl addition reactions with strong and weak
nucleophiles (Chapter 18, Sections 18.3-18.7) • fundamentals of electron transfer for an oxidation (Chapter 17,
Section 17.1) • reagents used to oxidize an alcohol to an aldehyde or ketone
(Chapter 17, Section 17.2) • oxidation reactions of alkenes (Chapter 17, Section 17.3)
This chapter will discuss methods for the reduction of aldehydes, ketones, and carboxylic acid derivatives to the corresponding alcohol. Both hydridereducing agents and catalytic hydrogenation will be discussed. Hydrogenation of alkenes to alkanes and hydrogenation of alkynes to alkenes will be discussed. A few specialized reduction techniques will also be introduced, including reduction of an aldehyde or ketone to the corresponding hydrocarbon, as well as reduction of an alkyl halide to an alkane.
