THE NICL2-CENTER-DOT-2H2O-LI-ARENE COMBINATION AS REDUCING SYSTEM - PART 3 - REDUCTION OF CARBONYL-COMPOUNDS AND IMINES

The reaction of different carbonyl compounds or their imines with a mi xture of nickel(II) chloride dihydrate, an excess of lithium powder an d a catalytic amount of naphthalene (16 mol %) or DTBB (8 mol %) in TH F at room temperature, leads to the formation of the corresponding alc ohols or amines, respectively. The incorporation of deuterium oxide in to the nickel salt complex yields the corresponding deuterated product s. The process can also be applied to alpha,beta-unsaturated carbonyl compounds leading either to the hydrogenation of only the carbon-carbo n double bond or the full hydrogenation, depending on the amount of th e nickel salt and/or reaction times. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. Al l rights reserved.