I-Selectride

Notes Selective reducing agent. The potassium and sodium Selectrides are also available. Will convert C-X to C-H, with I>Br>Cl. 

Stereoselective reductions based on complexed borohydrides have also proved of value in many instances in particular they have been of use in the synthesis of epimeric cyclic alcohols. For example, the reduction of 4-t-butylcyclo-hexanone to the cis-alcohol [99.5%, arising from equatorial hydride ion attack (i)] is effected by L-Selectride (lithium tri-s-butylborohydride, cf. Section 4.2.49, p. 448), or LS-Selectride53 (lithium trisiamylborohydride, cf. Section 4.2.49, p. 448) but to the trans-alcohol [98%, arising from axial hydride ion attack (ii)] with lithium butylborohydride.54 The experimental details of these reductions are given in Expt 5.34. 

Other cyclic or bicyclic ketones do not have a convex side but only a less concave and a more concave side. Thus, a hydride donor can add to such a carbonyl group only from a concave side. Because of the steric hindrance, this normally results in a decrease in the reactivity. However, the addition of this hydride donor is still less disfavored when it takes place from the less concave (i.e., the less hindered) side. As shown in Figure 10.10 (top) by means of the comparison of two reductions of norbomanone, this effect is more noticeable for a bulky hydride donor such as L-Selectride than for a small hydride donor such as NaBH4. As can be seen from Figure 10.10 (bottom), the additions of all hydride donors to the norbomanone derivative B (camphor) take place with the opposite diastereoselectivity. As indicated for each substrate, the common selectivity-determining factor remains the principle that the reaction with hydride takes place preferentially from the less hindered side of the molecule. 

Of the large number of reducing agents, the most useful are DIBAH and lithium tri-i -butylborohydride. Regardless of the nature of R, DIBAH reduces 3 mainly to the alcohol 4 (the tzn/i-Cram product) in 60-80% de. Reduction with L-Selectride usually proceeds in the opposite sense and in aeeordanee with Cram s chelate rule, but high selectivity is observed only when R is a primary or tertiary alkyl group. 

---