--- title: "Clemmensen reduction Template – Chemistry Diagram | MolDraw" url: https://www.moldraw.com/templates/clemmensen-reduction/ description: "Clemmensen reduction template: Acetophenone is reduced to ethylbenzene by Zn(Hg) in hot conc. HCl. The carbonyl is protonated, then electrons from the zinc…" lang: en publisher: Scidart Academy generated: 2026-10-28 --- [MolDraw](https://www.moldraw.com/) › [Templates](https://www.moldraw.com/templates/) › [Name reactions](https://www.moldraw.com/templates/name-reactions/) › Clemmensen reduction [Name reactions](https://www.moldraw.com/templates/name-reactions/)Premium # Clemmensen reduction template ![Clemmensen reduction template: Acetophenone is reduced to ethylbenzene by Zn(Hg) in hot conc. HCl. The carbonyl is protonated, then electrons from the zinc surface and protons remove the oxygen as water.](https://www.moldraw.com/templates/clemmensen-reduction.webp) [Edit in MolDraw](https://www.moldraw.com/)Download with Pro Premium template. Preview and edit it free in MolDraw; downloading and exporting it is part of [MolDraw Pro](https://www.moldraw.com/pricing). Acetophenone is reduced to ethylbenzene by Zn(Hg) in hot conc. HCl. The carbonyl is protonated, then electrons from the zinc surface and protons remove the oxygen as water. ## Mechanism step by step Zinc amalgam and conc. HCl reduce a ketone C=O to CH₂ 1. **Protonation** – HCl protonates the carbonyl oxygen 2. **On the zinc surface** – Electrons from zinc and protons from the acid remove O as water ## Key points - Overall: C=O + 4 [H] → CH₂ + H₂O, run in hot concentrated HCl. - Works best for aryl alkyl ketones, such as those from Friedel–Crafts acylation. - The surface mechanism is not settled (zinc carbenoids are proposed); the alcohol is not an intermediate, because alcohols are not reduced under these conditions. - Acid-sensitive compounds: use the Wolff–Kishner reduction (hydrazine, KOH) instead. Drawn with 55 atoms, 5 arrows, 6 shapes – every one editable in MolDraw. ## Sources - [Kürti & Czakó, Strategic Applications of Named Reactions in Organic Synthesis, Elsevier 2005](https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780124297852) Textbook - [Smith, March's Advanced Organic Chemistry, 8th ed., Wiley 2020](https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9781119371809) Textbook ## How to use this template 1. Press **Edit in MolDraw**. The template opens on the canvas of the free MolDraw editor. 2. Change anything: move structures, edit atoms and labels, recolour highlights or delete what you do not need. 3. Add your own structures, arrows and text next to it, or combine several templates on one page. 4. Export the drawing as PNG, SVG or PDF for slides, worksheets, theses and papers. ## Frequently asked questions ### Is the Clemmensen reduction template free? You can preview the Clemmensen reduction template here and open and edit it in MolDraw for free. Downloading or exporting it is part of MolDraw Pro, together with the other premium templates. ### Can I edit the Clemmensen reduction template? Yes. It opens as an ordinary MolDraw drawing, so every structure, arrow, label and colour can be changed, and you can add your own content around it. ### Is the chemistry checked? Every structure is checked with RDKit and every curly arrow passes MolDraw’s electron-flow audit. The sources used are listed on this page. ### Which name reactions are included? 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