Chemical Forums
Chemistry Forums for Students => Organic Chemistry Forum => Topic started by: zeoblade on May 20, 2011, 10:52:05 PM
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After you add the acylium ion and the carbonyl oxygen complexes AlCl3, water is added to release the product.
Is this the same reason with NaBH4 reduction of ketones?
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http://www.chem.ucalgary.ca/courses/351/Carey5th/Ch15/ch15-2-6.html
The above link is for LiAlH4, but I think the mechanism for NaBH4 is similar to this.
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Thank you,
So does this mean you also think adding water to release the ketone from AlCl3 is the same as adding water when reducing a ketone with NaBH4?
I'm just not very sure about the mechanism of how the water releases the ketone produced from Friedel-Crafts acylation of benzene
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I am not sure if you really need water in Friedel-Crafts acylation. I thought (by my reckoning) that AlCl3 requires anhydrous conditions.
If I remember my inorganic chemistry right, AlCl3 is ionic. Therefore, it would a complex in the presence of water (which I think is undesirable considering that you need AlCl4- in the end).
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Yes. AlCl3 requires anhydrous conditions.
But I don't think AlCl3 is ionic, although it's aqueous solution is.