Complex hydrides borohydride

Although the lUPAC has recommended the names tetrahydroborate, tetrahydroaluminate, etc, this nomenclature is not yet ia general use. Borohydrides. The alkaU metal borohydrides are the most important complex hydrides. They are ionic, white, crystalline, high melting soHds that are sensitive to moisture but not to oxygen. Group 13 (IIIA) and transition-metal borohydrides, on the other hand, are covalendy bonded and are either Hquids or sublimable soHds. The alkaline-earth borohydrides are iatermediate between these two extremes, and display some covalent character. 

Sodium borohydride and potassium borohydride [13762-51 -1] are unique among the complex hydrides because they are stable in alkaline solution. Decomposition by hydrolysis is slow in water, but is accelerated by increasing acidity or temperature. 

Cationic rings are readily reduced by complex hydrides under relatively mild conditions. Thus isoxazolium salts with sodium borohydride give the 2,5-dihydro derivatives (217) in ethanol, but yield the 2,3-dihydro compound (218) in MeCN/H20 (74CPB70). Pyrazolyl anions are reduced by borohydride to pyrazolines and pyrazolidines. Thiazolyl ions are reduced to 1,2-dihydrothiazoles by lithium aluminum hydride and to tetrahydrothiazoles by sodium borohydride. The tetrahydro compound is probably formed via (219), which results from proton addition to the dihydro derivative (220) containing an enamine function. 1,3-Dithiolylium salts easily add hydride ion from sodium borohydride (Scheme 20) (80AHC(27)151). 

A useful method for the reductive conversion of elemental tellurium into Te anions employs complex hydrides such as sodium or potassium borohydride and tetraalkyl ammonium borohydride as reducing agents. 

A similar mechanism and stoichiometry underlie reactions of organic compounds with lithium and sodium borohydrides. With modified complex hydrides the stoichiometry depends on the number of hydrogen atoms present in the molecule. 

Reductions with hydrides and complex hydrides are usually carried out by mixing solutions. Only sodium borohydride and some others are sometimes added portionwise as solids. Since some of the complex hydrides such as lithium aluminum hydride are not always completely pure and soluble without residues, it is of advantage to place the solutions of the hydrides in the reaction flask and add the reactants or their solutions from separatory funnels or by means of hypodermic syringes. 

Alkyl chlorides are with a few exceptions not reduced by mild catalytic hydrogenation over platinum [502], rhodium [40] and nickel [63], even in the presence of alkali. Metal hydrides and complex hydrides are used more successfully various lithium aluminum hydrides [506, 507], lithium copper hydrides [501], sodium borohydride [504, 505], and especially different tin hydrides (stannanes) [503,508,509,510] are the reagents of choice for selective replacement of halogen in the presence of other functional groups. In some cases the reduction is stereoselective. Both cis- and rrunj-9-chlorodecaIin, on reductions with triphenylstannane or dibutylstannane, gave predominantly trani-decalin [509]. 

Alkyl bromides and especially alkyl iodides are reduced faster than chlorides. Catalytic hydrogenation was accomplished in good yields using Raney nickel in the presence of potassium hydroxide [63] Procedure 5, p. 205). More frequently, bromides and iodides are reduced by hydrides [505] and complex hydrides in good to excellent yields [501, 504]. Most powerful are lithium triethylborohydride and lithium aluminum hydride [506]. Sodium borohydride reacts much more slowly. Since the complex hydrides are believed to react by an S 2 mechanism [505, 511], it is not surprising that secondary bromides and iodides react more slowly than the primary ones [506]. The reagent prepared from trimethoxylithium aluminum deuteride and cuprous iodide... 

Complex hydrides can be used for the selective reduction of the carbonyl group although some of them, especially lithium aluminum hydride, may reduce the a, -conjugated double bond as well. Crotonaldehyde was converted to crotyl alcohol by reduction with lithium aluminum hydride [55], magnesium aluminum hydride [577], lithium borohydride [750], sodium boro-hydride [751], sodium trimethoxyborohydride [99], diphenylstarmane [114] and 9-borabicyclo[3,3,l]nonane [764]. A dependable way to convert a, -un-saturated aldehydes to unsaturated alcohols is the Meerwein-Ponndorf reduction [765]. 

Transformation of ketones to alcohols has been accomplished by many hydrides and complex hydrides by lithium aluminum hydride [55], by magnesium aluminum hydride [89], by lithium tris tert-butoxy)aluminum hydride [575], by dichloroalane prepared from lithium aluminum hydride and aluminum chloride [816], by lithium borohydride [750], by lithium triethylboro-hydride [100], by sodium borohydride [751,817], by sodium trimethoxyborohy-dride [99], by tetrabutylammonium borohydride [771] and cyanoborohydride [757], by chiral diisopinocampheylborane (yields 72-78%, optical purity 13-37%) [575], by dibutyl- and diphenylstannane [114], tributylstanrume [756] and others Procedure 21, p. 209). 

Ketimines are reduced to amines very easily by catalytic hydrogenation, by complex hydrides and by formic acid. They are intermediates in reductive amination of ketones (p. 134). An example of the reduction of a ketimine is conversion of 3-aminocarbonyl-2,3-diphenylazirine to the corresponding aziridine by sodium borohydride (yield 73%), by potassium borohydride (yield 71%) and by sodium bis (2-methoxyethoxy) aluminum hydride (yield 71%) [939]. 

Reduction of aromatic carboxylic acids to alcohols can be achieved by hydrides and complex hydrides, e.g. lithium aluminum hydride 968], sodium aluminum hydride [55] and sodium bis 2-methoxyethoxy)aluminum hydride [544, 969, 970], and with borane (diborane) [976] prepared from sodium borohydride and boron trifluoride etherate [971, 977] or aluminum chloride [755, 975] in diglyme. Sodium borohydride alone does not reduce free carboxylic acids. Anthranilic acid was reduced to the corresponding alcohol by electroreduction in sulfuric acid at 20-30° in 69-78% yield [979],... 

Other reagents used for reduction are boranes and complex borohydrides. Lithium borohydride whose reducing power lies between that of lithium aluminum hydride and that of sodium borohydride reacts with esters sluggishly and requires refluxing for several hours in ether or tetrahydrofuran (in which it is more soluble) [750]. The reduction of esters with lithium borohydride is strongly catalyzed by boranes such as B-methoxy-9-bora-bicyclo[3.3.1]nonane and some other complex lithium borohydrides such as lithium triethylborohydride and lithium 9-borabicyclo[3.3.1]nonane. Addition of 10mol% of such hydrides shortens the time necessary for complete reduction of esters in ether or tetrahydrofuran from 8 hours to 0.5-1 hour [1060],... 

Complex hydrides were used for reductions of organometallic compounds with good results. Trimethyllead chloride was reduced with lithium aluminum hydride in dimethyl ether at —78° to trimethylplumbane in 95% yield [1174, and 2-methoxycyclohexylmercury chloride with sodium borohydride in 0.5 n sodium hydroxide to methyl cyclohexyl ether in 86% yield [1175]. 

For a review of LiAUL, see Pizey, Ref. 593, vol. 1, 1974, pp. 101-294. For monographs on complex metal hydrides, see Seyden-Penne Reductions by the Alumino- and Borohydrides-, VCH New York. 1991 Haj6s Complex Hydrides-, Elsevier New York, 1979. 

Complex hydride reduction (NaBH4 or LiAlHJ of 1-methylquinolinium ions proceeds analogously to 1,2-dihydro compounds (e.g. 333). 1-Methyl- and 1-acylisoquinolinium ions (the latter with Bu3SnH (88CL913)) give the corresponding 1,2-dihydro compounds (334). Borohydride reduces pyrylium salts to mixtures of 2H- and 4/7-pyrans the former immediately ring opens to form the dienone (Scheme 33). 

A different reactivity is found for trifluoromethyl groups at the 2- or 3-position in indoles during hydrogenolysis by complex hydrides. While lithium aluminum hydride is capable of reducing trifluoromethyl groups in both 2- or 3-(trifluoromethyl)indole with almost the same result, sodium borohydride in ethanol reduces only 3-(trifluoromethyl)-l//-indole (3) to the corresponding 3-methyl-l//-indole (4, skatole).67,145... 

Borohydrides. The alkali metal horohydrides ate the most important complex hydrides. They are ionic, white, crystalline, high melting solids that are sensitive to moisture but not to oxygen. They include lithium borohydridc. LiBHi. and sodium borohydride. NaBHj. 

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