Reduction of aromatic and cyclic ketones to secondary alcohols – selected strategies and challenges

Abstract

Ketones constitute a fascinating class of organic compounds. Due to their structure, they show a significant similarity to aldehydes. They undergo reduction and oxidation reactions, as well as substitution reactions at the carbonyl group without further transformations and with the release of water. At the same time, considering steric hindrance (an aliphatic or aromatic substituent) or the presence of additional functional groups, the reactivity of ketones is generally lower than that of aldehydes. This paper presents methods for reducing selected aliphatic, aliphatic-aromatic and cyclic ketones only to corresponding secondary alcohols. These methods are essential due to the popularity of secondary alcohols in the broadly understood chemical and pharmaceutical industry. Reduction methods leading to other compounds, e.g. alkenes, are not presented in this publication.