Birch Reduction of Aromatic Compounds

Birch reduction (see reviews [1-5]) is the name given to the reaction of unsaturated organic compounds with alkali metals and alcohols in liquid am­ monia. This method was first used for aromatic compounds in 1937 by Wooster [6J, who showed that benzene and its derivatives are reduced by sodium in liq­ uid ammonia in the presence of an alcohol, while this reaction does not take place in the absenc...