The purpose of this investigation is to study the Birch reduction products of [2.2lparacyclophane and of [2.2]paracyclophane- 2-carboxylic acid. The tetrahydro Birch reduction product of [2.2]paracyclophane is shown to be dl stereoisomer, with the olefins of the upper deck only partially overlapping with the olefins of the lower deck. This stereochemical elucidation is accomplished by means of a complete proton nmr analysis of the tetraepoxide derivative. A proposed mechanism supported by VB (valence bond) and MO (molecular orbital) theories for this Birch reduction process is presented.

The synthesis of several N-(4-nitrophenacyl)-4-alkylpyridinium halides and their reduction products, 1-(4-aminophenyl)-2-[1-(4-alkylpiperidyl)]ethanols, was undertaken because of structural analogies between these and other physiologically active compounds, such as chloroamphenicol (I), 4,4'-diaminodiphenyl sulfone (II), and 2,2-bis(p-aminophenyl)-1,1,1-trichloroethane (III).

Because of the structural analogies between these compounds and several other physiologically active compounds, such as chloroamphenicol, 4,4'-diaminodiphenyl sulfone, and 2,2-bis-(p-aminophenyl)-1,1,1-trichloroethane, a more complete study of the reduction products and the sequence of catalytic reduction of N-(4-nitrophenacyl)-4-(1-hexyl)pyridinium bromide was made in this investigation.