Reductions of Organic Functional Groups Using NaBH4OR NaBH4/LiCl in Diglyme at 125 TO 162 °C

Reduction of nitro, amide, carboxylate, ester and nitrile functional groups to -NH2, -CH2NH2, -CH2OH, -CH2OH and -CH2NCHPh, respectively were achieved using NaBH4 or NaBH4/LiCl in diglyme at 125—162 °C. This greatly extends the range of functional group types which can be considered generally reducible by borohydride.