In attempting to answer my own questions I have come up with:
Condensation of Benzaldehyde and Nitroethane.
C
7H
6O + C
2H
5NO
2 -> C
9H
9NO
2 + H
2O
Reduction of Phenyl-2-nitropropene.
C
9H
9NO
2 + 2H
2 -> C
9H
13N + O
2That was pretty easy to work out. I guess the real questions are:
What makes the No. 2 carbon in nitroethane substitute the oxygen in the benzaldehyde?
Under what conditions is this achieved?
How is the double bond between the two carbons reduced to a single bond? Why does this occur?
What makes the nitro group reduce to an amine group? Why does this happen?
Swim has read the literature regarding the use of various catalysts which provide some of the conditions that these reactions require, but the literature just states that the catalysts are used and doesn't explain why. These questions are rhetorical, but any feedback is certainly welcome.
There has to be some friggin limit to how clueless you can be here. Interesteds question showed clearly that he have no clue at all about what is going on in the reactions.
I agree. There should be a digest for basic organic chemistry so as not to promote cluelessness. Again apologies for wasting your time.