Collect. Czech. Chem. Commun.
1990, 55, 2956-2962
https://doi.org/10.1135/cccc19902956
Triethylamine borane - a stable, efficient and safe reductant for transforming carboxylic acids to primary alcohols
Otomar Kříž, Zbyněk Plzák and Jaromír Plešek
Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences, 250 68 Řež
Abstract
Triethylamine borane, (C2H5)3N.BH3, is a stable, safe and readily available reagent which at 80 °C reduces carboxylic acids to primary alcohols in high yields; functional derivatives of carboxylic acids such as esters, nitriles or amides are virtually nonreactive with this reagent under the same conditions. Aldehydes, ketones and acid chlorides, however, react readily. No solvent is required for the process.