Cadmium chloride sodium borohydride modifier

Zinc-modified cyanoborohydride, prepared from anhydrous zinc chloride and sodium cyanoborohy-dride in the ratio 1 2 in ether, selectively reduced aldehydes and ketones but not acids, anhydrides, esters and tertiary amides. In methanol the reactivity paralleled the unmodified reagent. Zinc and cadmium borohydrides form solid complexes with DMF, which may prove to be convenient sources of the reducing agents.Aromatic and a,p-unsaturated ketones were reduced much more slowly than saturated ketones, so chemoselective reduction should be possible. 

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