Reformatsky Reaction
Reformatsky reaction
[‚rif·ər′mat·skē rē‚ak·shən]Reformatsky Reaction
the synthesis of the esters of β-hydroxy carboxylic acids (II) through the interaction of aldehydes or ketones with the esters of α-halo carboxylic acids (I) in the presence of metallic zinc. The X in these reactions represents a halogen, and the R an organic radical:
The reaction was discovered by S. N. Reformatskii (S. N. Reformatsky) in 1887 and is today used in organic chemistry for the preparation of certain substances.