Benzophenone is an aromatic ketone that is commonly used as a starting material for the synthesis of a variety of chemical compounds. One method for reducing benzophenone is through the use of sodium borohydride, a powerful reducing agent.
The reduction of benzophenone with sodium borohydride proceeds through a nucleophilic substitution reaction. In this reaction, the boron atom of the sodium borohydride molecule acts as a nucleophile, attacking the carbon atom of the benzophenone. As a result, the carbon-oxygen bond is broken and a new carbon-boron bond is formed, yielding the reduced compound.
The reaction is typically carried out in an aqueous solvent, such as water or an alcohol, in the presence of a base, such as sodium hydroxide. The base serves to neutralize the hydrochloric acid that is generated as a byproduct of the reaction.
The yield of the reduction reaction can be influenced by several factors. One important factor is the ratio of sodium borohydride to benzophenone. Using an excess of sodium borohydride can increase the yield, but can also lead to the formation of side products. The reaction temperature and the choice of solvent can also affect the yield.
In conclusion, the reduction of benzophenone with sodium borohydride is a useful method for synthesizing reduced versions of this aromatic ketone. By carefully controlling the reaction conditions, it is possible to achieve good yields of the desired product.
Chem3D03
Dry the solution with anhydrous sodium sulfate, filter, and isolate the crude product using the rotary evaporator or a distillation apparatus. Wash the combined ether extracts with aqueous 2M hydrochloric acid 40 mL and then with water 40 mL. Cork the tube loosely, and label it with your name using a grease pencil or magic marker. Instead, its chief electronic feature is the odd-electron character of the oxygen atom, and the photochemistry of benzophenone can be rationalised on the basis of processes derived from an oxygen-centred radical-like species. One of the most ubiquitous reactions of free radicals is hydrogen atom abstraction; this is also the case for the excited triplet state of aromatic ketones.
Add one drop of glacial acetic acid, to neutralise alkaline impurities, and fill a Pyrex test tube with the solution to within 2 cm of the top. Give your tube to your demonstrator, who will irradiate it along with several others using a medium pressure mercury lamp for 3-4 hours. Sodium Borohydride and Photochemical Reduction of Benzophenone References Ege, Chapt. We will compare the results with those of a sodium borohydride reduction to determine the differences between the two procedures. Write mechanisms to account for product formation in the two experiments. Once you've recovered your solution, filter the precipitated product from the solution using a Buchner funnel, wash with cold ethanol and air-dry. Nucleophilic attack produces an oxygen-centred anion, which often goes on to abstract a proton in yielding the observed product.