M.Periasamy,M.Thirumalaikumar/JournalofOrganometallicChemistry609(2000)137–151141
TheNaBH4–I2reagentsystemhasalsobeenusedforthisapplication.Itreadilyreducescarboxylicacidestersunderre uxconditionsingoodyields(Eq.(36))[21].PhCHNaBH4–I2,THFH2O
2COOEt 70°C,0.5h
PhCH2CH2OH
(36)
85%
6.Reductionofcarboxylicacidamides
Numerouschemicalsofimportanceinmedicinalchemistryhavebeenpreparedthroughreductionofamides[45].ItwasfoundthattheamidescanbeeasilyreducedtoprimaryaminesusingNaBH4–CoCl2systemingoodyieldsinhydroxylicaswellasinnon-hydrox-ylicsolvents(Eq.(37))[46].
n-CNaBH4–CoCl2
3H7CONH2 n-C3H770%
CH2NH2
(37)
TheNaBH4–I2systemisalsousefulforthereductionofamides(Eqs.(38)–(40))[21].PhCONH2 NaBH4–I2
NaOH
THF,D
PhCH70%
2NH2
(38)PhNHCOCH3 PhNHCH75%
2CH3
(39)Ph(CH3)NCOCH3 Ph(CH3)NCH74%
2CH3
(40)
Further,reductionofamidescontainingsensitivefunctionalgroupscanalsobecarriedoutusingNaBH4–I2reagentsystemunderambientconditions(Eq.(41))[47].
(41)
AnewprocedureforthehighlyselectivereductionoftertiaryamidestoaminesusingNaBH4–bis(2-bro-moethyl)seleniumdibromide4hasbeenreported(Eq.42)[48a,b].
(42)
Atahighertemperature,thisreactiontakesplacesmoothlyinashorterperiod.However,reductionofsecondaryandprimaryamideswiththissysteminTHFfailed.Also,withouttheseleniumcompound,thereac-tiondidnottakeplace.IthasbeenobservedthatthereactionofNaBH4with4producesborane(5)andbis(2-bromoethyl)selenide(6).
(BrCH2CH2)2Se–BH3(BrCH2CH2)2Se
56
7.Reductionofnitriles
TheCoCl2–NaBH4reagentsystemeffectivelyre-ducesthenitrilesingoodyields[46]inhydroxylicas
wellasnon-hydroxylicsolvents(Eq.(43)).
CNaBH4–CoCl2
6H5CH(OH)CN C6H5CH(OH)CH80%
2NH2
(43)MandelonitrileissmoothlyreducedusingtheNaBH4–CoCl2system[49].ItisofinteresttonotethatreductionbyLiAlH4givesthea-hydroxy-b-phenylethyl-amineinlowyields.Cupricsalts–NaBH4combinationsarealsoeffectiveforreductionofnitriles.Thehalo-genides,sulfates,carboxylatesofcobalt,nickel,iridium,rhodium,osmiumandplatinumwerealsousedalongwithNaBH4inseveralapplications.Also,ZrCl4–NaBH4reagentsystemhasbeenusedforthereductionofnitrilesinexcellentyields(Eq.(44))[31].PhCHNaBH4–ZrCl4
2CN THF,r.t.
PhCH2CH2NH2
(44)
91%
NitrilesarealsoreducedbyNaBH4–I2systeminTHFunderre uxingconditions(Eq.(45))[21].PhCN NaBH4–I2
NaOH
THF
PhCH2NH2
(45)
72%
Also,nitrilesonreactionwithamixtureofNaBH4andbis(2-bromoethyl)seleniumdibromide(4),inboil-ingTHFgivethecorrespondingprimaryamines(Eq.(46))[48].
RCN 1.NaBH4–4,THF
2.HCl
RCH(46)
R=2NHalkyl/aryl2.HCl
35–73%
Thisreagentsystemdoesnotaffectmanyothersub-stituentsthataresusceptibletoH3B–THF[48b].
8.Reductionofacidchlorides
Theacylchloridesareef cientlyreducedtothecor-respondingalcoholsonreactionwithZn(BH4)2inpres-enceofTMEDA(Eq.(47))[50].Electronwithdrawinggroupinthesubstratesenhancestherateofreduction.Itisofinteresttonotethattheselectivereductionofacylchloridesinthepresenceofotherfunctionalgroups,suchaschloro,nitro,esterandconjugateddoublebondcanbeachievedusingthisreagentsystem.RCOCl NaBH4–ZnCl2
TMEDA
RCH2OH
(47)
R=alkyl/aryl86–98%