Emde degradation
The Emde degradation (also called Emde-reaction or Emde-reduction) is a method for the reduction of a quaternary ammonium cation to a tertiary amine with sodium amalgam [1][2][3]
This organic reaction was first described in 1909 by the German chemist Hermann Emde and was for a long time of great importance in structure elucidation of many alkaloids, for example that of ephedrine.
Alternative reducing agents exist for this reaction; for instance, lithium aluminium hydride.
See also
- Related reactions are the Hofmann elimination and the Von Braun reaction
References
- ↑ H. Emde. Ber deutsch chem Ges 42 (1909) p2590
- ↑ W Pötsch. Lexikon bedeutender Chemiker (VEB Bibliographisches Institut Leipzig, 1989) (ISBN 3817110553
- ↑ M B Smith, J March. March's Advanced Organic Chemistry (Wiley, 2001) (ISBN 0-471-58589-0)
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