Reduction of trichloromethylcarbinols. Hydrogenolysis of phenyl(trichloromethyl)carbinol and 1,1,1-trichloro-2-hydroxy-6-methyl-4- heptanone on metal surfaces
Reduction with zinc in neutral or acidic medium or catalytic hydrogenation of phenyl(trichloromethyl)-carbinol (1) gives β,β-dichlorostyrene (2), β-chlorostyrene (3), and phenyl(dichloromethyl)carbinol (4). β,β-Dichlorostyrene is the sole product of reduction of phenyl(trichloromethyl)carbinyl methyl ether with zinc and acetic acid. Lithium in liquid ammonia reduces the trichloromethyl group of 1 to give α-phenethyl alcohol (5) in low yield; acetophenone and β-phenethyl alcohol have been identified as byproducts of this reaction.Clemmensen reduction of 1,1,1-trichloro-2-hydroxy-6-methyl-4-heptanone (6) does not yield the expected 1,1,1-trichloro-6-methyl-2-heptanol; instead, 1,1-dichloro-6-methyl-1-hepten-4-one (7) and 1,1-dichloro-6-methyl-l-heptene (8) are formed as the main reaction products. Long reflux time, efficient stirring, and the employment of a large excess of amalgamated zinc and concentrated hydrochloric acid favor the formation of 8 while 7 is obtained in high yield when sulfuric acid is used instead of hydrochloric acid.A mechanism for the reduction of trichloromethylcarbinols (1 and 6) with zinc has been proposed, 7 being postulated as an intermediate in the formation of 8.