Synlett 2011(17): 2597-2598  
DOI: 10.1055/s-0031-1289513
SPOTLIGHT
© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart ˙ New York

Zinc Ammonium Chloride

Bishwajit Saikia*
Natural Products Chemistry Division, North-East Institute of ­Science & Technology, Jorhat 785006, Assam, India
e-Mail: bishwajitsaikia@rediffmail.com;
Further Information

Publication History

Publication Date:
06 October 2011 (online)

Introduction

Zinc belongs to the group IIB of the periodic table. The d¹0s² configuration of this family is not conductive redox chemistry. The overwhelming tendency is to lose the s-electrons to become a stable +2 cation; indeed, this essentially describes the entire redox chemistry of zinc and other family members. It has a negative electrode potential E0 (M²+/M) V = -0.7619.

Scheme 1

Non-oxidizing acids dissolve zinc under evolution of ­hydrogen. This property of zinc can be used to reduce various functional groups in organic chemistry.