Concept:
Several named reactions are used in organic chemistry to convert functional groups into other useful compounds. The given reactions represent important transformations of carboxylic acid derivatives and carbonyl compounds.
Step 1: Rosenmund Reduction.
In this reaction, an acid chloride is reduced to an aldehyde using hydrogen gas in the presence of a poisoned palladium catalyst (Pd/BaSO4).
RCOCl → RCHO (H2, Pd/BaSO4)
Step 2: Hell–Volhard–Zelinsky (HVZ) Reaction.
Carboxylic acids containing an alpha-hydrogen react with chlorine in the presence of red phosphorus to form alpha-halogenated carboxylic acids.
CH3COOH → Cl-CH2COOH (Cl2 / Red P)
Step 3: Clemmensen Reduction.
In this reaction, aldehydes or ketones are reduced to hydrocarbons using zinc amalgam (Zn-Hg) and concentrated hydrochloric acid.
CH3CHO → CH3CH3 (Zn-Hg / conc. HCl)