GB1189512A - Sodium Aluminum Hydride Derivatives, their preparation and uses - Google Patents

Abstract

1,189,512. Sodium aluminium hydride derivatives, their preparation and use. H. J. FITZPATRICK (Ceskoslovenska Akademie Ved). 16 March, 1967, No. 12368/67. Heading C2C. [Also in Divisions C1, C3 and C5] Organically substituted sodium aluminium hydride derivatives of the formula NaAlH x Z 4-x wherein x is an integer from 1 to 3 and Z is defined below, may be obtained by reacting, under anhydrous conditions and in a non-polar medium, Na 3 AlH 6 or NaAlH 4 with a compound of the formula AlZ 3 , wherein Z is an organic residue selected from those obtained by removing the hydrogen atom from the free hydroxyl group of: (a) methanol, ethanol or propanol, (b) an ether alcohol derived by alkylating arylating or aralkylating one hydroxyl group in a diol, (c) a polyether alcohol derived by condensing an ether alcohol with a diol with removal of one molecule of water, (d) an amino alcohol R 2 N(CH 2 ) z OH wherein z is an integer from 2 to 4 and R is selected from R<SP>1</SP> and an alkoxy alkyl or aryloxyalkyl group R<SP>1</SP>O(CH 2 ) z wherein R<SP>1</SP> is a C 1-4 alkyl group or a C 6-8 aryl group, (e) a tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol or tetrahydrofurfuryloxyalkanol, and. (f) a tetrahydropyranylmethyl alcohol or tetrahydropyranylmethoxyalkanol. A compound of the formula NaZ may also be employed in the reaction and the compounds AlZ 3 and NaZ may be introduced in the form of a complex compound of the formula NaZ.AlZ 3 . The reaction is suitably effected in a liquid reaction medium in which the above product is soluble, said medium being selected from hydrocarbons and ethers, and the boiling point of said medium being at atmospheric pressure lower than the decomposition temperature of the substituted sodium aluminium hydride. The above sodium aluminium hydrides may be employed in the reduction of organic compounds, e.g. aldehydes, ketones, esters, carboxylic acids, carboxylic halides, dialkyl amides, diaryl amides and aromatic nitro compounds, or in the dehalogenation of inorganic and organic mono- and poly-halides, specific examples being given of the treatment of benzoyl chloride and ethyl benzoate to give benzyl alcohol, acetone to give ethanol, ethyl butyrate to give butanol, C 2 H 5 COON(CH 3 ) 2 to give propanol and p-CH 3 C 6 H 4 NO 2 to give CH 3 -C 6 H 4 -N = N-C 6 H 4 -CH 3 . The starting materials employed in the production of the sodium aluminium hydrides may be prepared by conventional methods, examples being given.