Mechanism of meerwein-pondorf-verley type reductions

The reduction of benzophenone by lithium and chloromagnesium alkoxides has been studied as well as the transformation of certain lithium alkoxides to the corresponding ketones by electron transfer. Fluorenone was reduced by lithium sec-butoxide to the corresponding lithium ketyl to the extent of 65%. Lithium 9-fluoroenolate underwent in tetrahydrofuran a spontaneous transformation to lithium fluorenone ketyl. This process was interpreted as involving 1,2-hydrogen shift in an oxygen-centred radical. A mechanism for the Meerwein-Pondorf-Verley-type reductions is proposed, invoking single electron as well as 1,2-hydrogen shift steps.