Raney nickel desulfurization

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July 13, 2026

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Raney nickel is a catalyst used in chemical reactions, particularly for hydrogenation. It is prepared from an alloy of nickel and aluminum, with the aluminum dissolved out to create a porous, reactive form of nickel.1

In the context of organic chemistry, Raney nickel is employed for desulfurization, a process that removes sulfur from organic compounds. This is achieved by cleaving carbon-sulfur bonds and replacing them with hydrogen. This reaction is valuable for determining the structure of unknown organosulfur compounds and was instrumental in establishing the structure of penicillin.2

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organosulfur compound
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Raney nickel desulfurization was a key step in first establishing the structure of penicillin. The high polarizability of sulfur stabilizes a negative charge on the carbon adjacent to divalent sulfur, as in RSCH₂₋(usually as α-lithium sulfides, RSCH₂Li), which proves useful in organic synthesis through nucleophilic…
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Raney nickel desulfurization was a key step in first establishing the structure of penicillin. The high polarizability of sulfur stabilizes a negative charge on the carbon adjacent to divalent sulfur, as in RSCH₂₋(usually as α-lithium sulfides, RSCH₂Li), which proves useful in organic synthesis through nucleophilic…
Read More