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Topic: Sodium Amalgam Reaction  (Read 4641 times)

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Offline PApharma

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Sodium Amalgam Reaction
« on: May 30, 2007, 09:31:03 PM »
Hey -
So I have this question....I need to use 1.5% Sodium amalgam in this reaction I'm doing, I can only get 5%, 10% or 20%...the reaction is a reduction of a an aldehyde to an alcohol...was I wrong in assuming that the higher % is better...I think I messed up because now I've come to the conclusion it's the mercury that's important, not the Na+...any other suggestions for another reducing agent besides this one?

Offline kiwi

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Re: Sodium Amalgam Reaction
« Reply #1 on: May 30, 2007, 10:44:17 PM »
whats the reaction?

Offline movies

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Re: Sodium Amalgam Reaction
« Reply #2 on: May 31, 2007, 12:20:24 AM »
It's actually the Na that does the reduction.

A different percentage probably won't affect the reaction, it will just change the amount of Na(Hg) that you use.  It's kind of like the difference between using a 1 M or a 2 M solution.

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