Wolff–Kishner reduction facts for kids

The Wolff–Kishner reduction is a special chemical reaction. It helps change certain parts of molecules called carbonyl groups. Think of a carbonyl group as a carbon atom double-bonded to an oxygen atom.

This reaction usually changes molecules like ketones and aldehydes, which have these carbonyl groups, into simpler molecules called alkanes. Alkanes are molecules made only of carbon and hydrogen, without the oxygen from the carbonyl group.

The Wolff–Kishner reduction happens in a special liquid (a solvent) and needs a basic environment, which is the opposite of an acidic one. This reaction is named after two scientists, Nikolai Kischner and Ludwig Wolff, who discovered it.

Images for kids

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  Scheme 1. Wolff-Kishner Reduction

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  Scheme 1-1. Summary of mechanism of Wolff-Kishner reaction

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  Scheme 2. Kishner's conditions

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  Scheme 3. Wolff's conditions

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  Scheme 4. Mechanism of the Wolff-Kishner reduction

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  Scheme 5. Huang Minlon modification

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  Scheme 6. Barton modification

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  Scheme 7. Cram modification

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  Scheme 8. Caglioti modification

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  Scheme 11. Unsuccessful substrate in Caglioti reaction

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  Scheme 12-1. Deoxygenation of an α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compound

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  Scheme 12-2. Deoxygenation of an α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compound

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  Scheme 13. Mechanism of allylic diazene rearrangement

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  Scheme 14. Myers modification

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  Scheme 15. Azine formation

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  Scheme 16. Kishner-Leonard elimination

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  Scheme 18. Synthsesis of Aspidospermidine

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  Scheme 19. Reduction of a twisted amide

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  Scheme 20. Synthesis of sec-credenol

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  Scheme 21. Large-scale application

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  Scheme 22. Allylic diazene rearrangement

See also

In Spanish: Reducción de Wolff-Kishner para niños