Rosenmund Reaction

Rosenmund reaction

[′rōz·ən‚mu̇nd rē‚ak·shən] (organic chemistry) Catalytic hydrogenation of an acid chloride to form an aldehyde; the reaction is in the presence of sulfur to prevent the subsequent hydrogenation of the aldehyde.

Rosenmund Reaction

 

the preparation of aldehydes (II) by the catalytic reduction of carboxylic acid chlorides (I):

Pd, “poisoned” with additions of sulfur-containing compounds, on BaSO4, CaCO3, carbon, asbestos, or kieselguhr is used as the catalyst. The reaction, which is used in organic synthesis, was discovered in 1872 by M. M. Zaitsev and developed by the German chemist K. Rosenmund in 1918. Modern practice more often uses lithium aluminum hydride (LiAlH4) and sodium borohydride (NaBH4) for the reduction of acid chlorides to aldehydes.