predict the major product      :(

 

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i think zorro, the =O group is protected by the HS - CH2 - CH2 - HS

what raney nickel do , i dont know

i am sure about the first step

this rn is well known and is called mosingo rn. The major product will be cyclohexane!

I too think the major product shud be cyclohexane. Dont know abt this mosingo rn but I hav shown the intermediate formed in this reaction in the figure. Now Ni will just reduce it to give cyclohexane.

As Ni is an adsorption catalyst so a probable mechanism of reduction might be that the lone pairs of S get adsorbed on Ni catalyst and then as adsorption process continues and other molecules/species attack, this HS-CH2-CH2-SH group will leave the ring thus forming cyclohexane.

yes the intermediate is a thioketal as shown by tarin and then its reduced .

Note this is an alternate method for reducing aldehydes or ketones into alkanes apart from Clemmensen and Wolff Kishner. This is the better method of the three (Why?)

hats off to tarin

the rxn is called mozingos reduction