A GREEN APPROACH FOR THE SELECTIVE REDUCTION OF AROMATIC CARBONYL COMPOUNDS USING RANEY Ni-Al ALLOY
MIRELA SUCEVEANU 1*, ADRIANA FÎNARU 1, MATEI RAICOPOL 2, SORIN I. ROŞCA 2 1. „Vasile Alecsandri” University of Bacau, Faculty of Engineering,
Calea Marasesti 157, 600115 Bacau, Romania
2. „Politehnica” University of Bucharest, Faculty of Applied Chemistry and Materials Science, Gh. Polizu 1-7, 011061 Bucharest, Romania
*Corresponding author: mirela.suceveanu@ub.ro
Given the significant environmental risk associated with the use of organic solvents and catalysts in the classic reduction reaction catalysts, we are interested in adapting the reaction medium and in developing an eco-friendly methodology for the synthesis of corresponding alcohols in reasonably yields. In this study, the reduction of some aromatic carbonyl compounds with Ni-Al alloy in aqueous alkaline medium was carried out in two versions: with 20 wt% aq NaOH and with 1 wt% aq NaOH without organic solvent. The structures of the reaction products are rigorously proven by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). There was observed an increase of the reduction reaction rate when we used 1 wt% aq NaOH without addition of organic solvent. For a good part of the studied substrates high conversion and selectivity were achieved by employing mild reaction conditions, minimal environmental pollution and simple work up procedure, foreshadowing yields above 90 % and representing candidates for convenient preparative applications.
