Reducing Ketones and Aldehydes

[BiomajorPreDent]

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I have just a quick question. I know you can reduce aldehydes and ketones using H2 and Raney Nickel. But does this mean that you can also reduce them using H2 and Pt,Pd like you can with alkenes?

 

[loveoforganic]

Not under normal conditions. I'm sure you can under very high pressure.

 

[sixkiller]

I have just a quick question. I know you can reduce aldehydes and ketones using H2 and Raney Nickel. But does this mean that you can also reduce them using H2 and Pt,Pd like you can with alkenes?

I don't know about pt but I have seen pd used to reduce ketones/aldehydes to secondary/primary alcohols. As with raney nickel high pressure is also required. For practical purposes hydride reduction is more commonly employed.

pd is more useful in that it will selectively reduce an alkene if it is present along with the carbonyl. Thus, pd is commonly used to reduce the alkene component of an alpha/beta unsaturated aldehyde/ketone.

Another thing to remember is that ARYL ketones/aldehydes are reduced to aliphatic substituents following pd/H2 treatment (this application is more commonly seen); of course, the clemenson reduction or wolf kishner can also accomplish this.