[EtOH]

Hey, does amalgamated zinc in HCl reduce a nitro group to an amine? In my notes it seems that it would but i can't find the evidence for it anywhere. I know hydrogen catalyzed reduction does but would clemmensen do that as well?

Also, some kid in class was trying to explain that clemmensen would only reduce a carbonyl that's attached directly to a benze ring and not one that is in the middle of a substituent, like any type of ketone. Is there any truth to that?

Thanks in advance,
Anton

[movies]

Yup.  Nitro groups on aromatics are pretty easy to reduce.  I would say a more common combination is Zn/HOAc.

There are definitely examples of aliphatic ketones reduced to alkanes by Clemmensen reduction.  I don't know if it would be possible to get selectivity for a phenyl ketone over an aliphatic one though.