The Clemmensen reduction involves the reduction of the carbonyl group (>C=O) of aldehydes and ketones to a methylene group (−CH2−) on treatment with zinc amalgam and concentrated hydrochloric acid (Zn−Hg/HCl).
- Option 2 depicts the Wolff-Kishner reduction, which uses hydrazine (NH2NH2) and a strong base (like C2H5ONa or KOH) in a high-boiling solvent (ethylene glycol).
- Option 3 depicts reduction using hydroiodic acid (HI) and Red Phosphorus, which is a powerful reducing method but not the Clemmensen reduction.
- Option 1, by elimination and matching the standard definition, corresponds to the reaction involving Zn−Hg and HCl.