Carbanion analogs derived from naturally-occurring aldehydes

(Phys.org)—Researchers from McGill University in Montreal have devised a novel carbon-carbon bond-forming reaction that serves as an alternative to a nucleophilic addition reaction of an organometallic compound to a carbonyl (e.g., Grignard reaction). Common aldehydes, when reacted with hydrazine to form hydrazones, are then activated with a ruthenium-based catalyst and serve as the nucleophilic carbanions that attack an electrophilic carbonyl, forming secondary or tertiary alcohols. This