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Dialdehydes such as adipaldehyde, glutaraldehyde, and succinaldehyde were readily reduced to give their corresponding 1,6-hexanediol, 1,5-pentanediol, and 1,4-butanediol in good yields in the presence of catalytic amount of hexarhodium hexadecacarbonyl or iron pentacarbonyl in water and methoxyethanol or ethanol at 180℃ for 4 hr under carbon monoxide atmosphere. Under the same reaction conditions, diketones such as 2,5-hexanedione, 2,4-pentanedione, and 2,3-butanedione afforded their corresponding 2,5-hexanediol, 2,4-pentanediol and 2,3-butanediol in moderate yields. For double hydrohydroxymethylation of dialdehydes or diketones, rhodium or iron carbonyl complexes are more effective than others. Particularly, benzoquinone gave hydroquinone quantitatively.
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