New Powerful Catalysts for the Reduction of Esters by Lithium Borohydride

Article abstract of DOI:10.1021/jo00347a057

The presence of 10 mmol percent of lithium 9-boratabicyclo<3.3.1>nonane, LiH*9-BBN, or lithium triethylborohydride, LiEt3BH, strongly catalyzes the reduction of esters by lithium borohydride in ether at 25 deg C.The corresponding Lewis acid, B-methoxy-9-borabicyclo<3.3.1>nonane, B-OMe-9-BBN, also permits the rapid and quantitative reduction of esters by LiBH4 and provides a practical method for the reduction of esters by LiBH4 and provides a practical method for the reduction of esters in the presence of reducible groups, such as chloro and nitro.