Abstract
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.