Emde degradation

{{Reactionbox

|Name = Emde degradation

|Type = Degradation reaction

|NamedAfter = Hermann Emde

|Section3 = {{Reactionbox Identifiers

|RSC_ontology_id = 0000147

}}

}}

The Emde degradation (also called Emde-reaction or Emde-reduction) is a method for the reduction of a quaternary ammonium cation to a tertiary amine with sodium amalgam:{{cite journal | first1=Hermann | last1=Emde | title=Spaltung quartärer Ammoniumsalze durch nascierenden Wasserstoff | journal=Ber. Dtsch. Chem. Ges. | volume=42 | issue=2 | year=1909 | pages=2590–2594 | doi=10.1002/cber.190904202169| url=https://zenodo.org/record/1426345}}{{cite book | first1=W. | last1=Pötsch | title=Lexikon bedeutender Chemiker | publisher=VEB Bibliographisches Institut Leipzig | year=1989 | isbn=3817110553}}{{cite book | first1=M. B. | last1=Smith | first2=J. | last2=March | title=March's Advanced Organic Chemistry | publisher=Wiley | year=2001 | isbn=0-471-58589-0}}

Image:Emderxn.png

This organic reaction was first described in 1909 by the German chemist Hermann Emde. It was for a long time of great importance in structure elucidation of many alkaloids, for example that of ephedrine.

Alternative reducing agents exist for this reaction; for instance, lithium aluminium hydride.