Answer to Question #40267 in Organic Chemistry for vikas rao

Question

do the heterogeneous catalysts like Pt/Pd reduce organic anhydrides?

Answer 1

No. Hydrogen on Pt/Pd catalysts reduce only non-polar bonds, such as >C=C<, R₃C-Cl, PhCH₂-N< and some others. The bonds C-O and C=O in anhydrides are very polar, so they cannot be reduced on noble metal catalysts.