Clemmensen reduction
The Clemmensen reduction is an organic reaction used to reduce an aldehyde or ketone to an alkane by zinc amalgam and hydrochloric acid.
Mechanism
The mechanism of the Clemmensen reduction is still not fully understood, and there are currently two popular proposals:
- The "carbanion mechanism", where zinc directly attacks the protonated carbonyl.
- The "carbenoid mechanism", which is a radical process, and the reduction occurs on the surface of the zinc metal.
