Scientific Study & Research: Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, Biotechnology, Food Industry (May 2014)

BEHAVIOUR OF SOME ISOLATED AND CONJUGATED UNSATURATED COMPOUNDS, ARENES AND AROMATIC HETEROCYCLES IN A Ni-Al/NaOH REDUCING SYSTEM

  • Mirela Suceveanu,
  • Matei Raicopol,
  • Adriana Fînaru,
  • Sorin I. Roşca

Journal volume & issue
Vol. 15, no. 1
pp. 23 – 34

Abstract

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In this paper we present the results of some experiments in which substrates representing various unsaturated and aromatic systems were tested in reduction reactions with Ni-Al alloy in aqueous NaOH and we highlight the relationships between the structure and the reactivity of the investigated compounds. We have found that unsaturated compounds containing isolated double bonds carbon-carbon and polynuclear condensed ring aromatics present an advanced inertness to the reduction process by the aluminum component of the Ni-Al/NaOH system. Unlike them, unsaturated compounds with C=C conjugated bonds are very reactive to the Ni-Al/NaOH system, 1,4 reduction processes being facilitated, behaviour attributed to the polar nature of the conjugated systems. The heterocyclic compounds have a higher reactivity than their homologues carbocyclic compounds.

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