Abstract

The replacement of the oxygen atoms of the carbonyl group in an aldehyde or ketone by two hydrogen atoms through the use of amalgamated zinc and hydrochloric acid was first employed in 1913 by Clemmensen and is know as the Clemmensen method of reduction. The process has been applied to a large number of aldehydes and ketones as a step in the synthesis of polynuclear hydrocarbons and alkylated aromatic compounds. It has also played an important role in the elucidation of the structures of highly complex natural products. The wide use of this method has resulted in the development of several modifications of the original procedure.