Question

Wolff-Kishner Reduction
(II) Decarboxylation Reaction

Answer 1

(I) Wolff-Kishner Reduction

The Wolff-Kishner reduction is a method used to reduce carbonyl compounds (aldehydes and ketones) to methylene groups (\(-{CH2}-\)) using hydrazine (\({NH2NH2}\)) and a strong base like potassium hydroxide (\({KOH}\)).

General Reaction:

\[ {R-CHO} \xrightarrow[{KOH}]{{NH2NH2}} {R-CH3} \]

This reaction effectively removes the oxygen of the carbonyl group and replaces it with two hydrogen atoms, converting aldehydes/ketones to alkanes.

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(II) Decarboxylation Reaction

The decarboxylation reaction involves the loss of a carbon dioxide molecule (\({CO2}\)) from a carboxylic acid, resulting in the formation of a corresponding hydrocarbon.

General Reaction:

\[ {R-COOH} \xrightarrow{\text{heat}} {R-H} + {CO2} \]

This reaction typically occurs upon heating and is often catalyzed by soda lime or mineral acids.