Organic reaction in water. Part 3: A facile method for reduction of aromatic rings using a raney Ni–Al alloy in dilute aqueous alkaline solution under mild conditions

Abstract

Reduction of aromatic rings such as phenol, naphthalenes, biphenyls, acenaphthene, and acenaphthylene was smoothly performed using a Raney Ni–Al alloy in dilute aqueous alkaline solution without any organic solvents at 90°C under atmospheric pressure, and the corresponding reduced compounds were obtained in high yields.