NaBH4 reducing agent

Formic acid is a good reducing agent in the presence of Pd on carbon as a catalyst. Aromatic nitro compounds are reduced to aniline with formic acid[100]. Selective reduction of one nitro group in 2,4-dinitrotoluene (112) with triethylammonium formate is possible[101]. o-Nitroacetophenone (113) is first reduced to o-aminoacetophenone, then to o-ethylaniline when an excess of formate is used[102]. Ammonium and potassium formate are also used for the reduction of aliphatic and aromatic nitro compounds. Pd on carbon is a good catalyst[103,104]. NaBH4 is also used for the Pd-catalyzed reduction of nitro compounds 105]. However, the ,/)-unsaturated nitroalkene 114 is partially reduced to the oxime 115 with ammonium formate[106]... 

NaBH4, H0(CH2)20H, 40°, 18 h, 87% yield. Lithium aluminum hydride can be used to effect efficient ester cleavage if no other functional group is present that can be attacked by this strong reducing agent. ... 

The reaction is second-order overall, with the rate given by A [R2C=0][NaBH4]. The interpretation of the rate data is complicated slightly by the fact that the alkoxyborohy-drides produced by the first addition can also fimction as reducing agents, but this has little apparent effect on the relative reactivity of the carbonyl compoimds. Table 8.3 presents some of the rate data obtained from these studies. 

Fructose bisphosphate aldolase of animal muscle is a Class I aldolase, which forms a Schiff base or imme intermediate between the substrate (fructose-1,6-bisP or dihydroxyacetone-P) and a lysine amino group at the enzyme active site. The chemical evidence for this intermediate comes from studies with the aldolase and the reducing agent sodium borohydride, NaBH4. Incubation of fructose bisphosphate aldolase with dihydroxyacetone-P and NaBH4 inactivates the enzyme. Interestingly, no inactivation is observed if NaBH4 is added to the enzyme in the absence of substrate. 

Chemists generally rank reducing agent power as LiAlHj > NaBH4. Is this ranking consistent with the reaction energetics and atomic charges ... 

After evaporation of the solvent, the solid residue consists of 5-(2-chlorobenzyl)-thieno[3,2-cl -pyridinium chloride which melts at 166°C (derivative n°30). This compound is taken up into a solution comprising ethanol (300 ml) and water (100 ml). Sodium borohydride (NaBH4) (20 g) is added portionwise to the solution maintained at room temperature. The reaction medium is maintained under constant stirring during 1 2 hours and is then evaporated. The residue is taken up into water and made acidic with concentrated hydrochloric acid to destroy the excess reducing agent. The mixture is then made alkaline with ammonia and extracted with ether. The ether solution is washed with water, dried and evaporated. The oily residue is dissolved in isopropanol (50 ml) and hydrochloric acid in ethanol solution is then added thereto. 

Lithium aluminum hydride, LiAIH4/ is another reducing agent often used for reduction of aldehydes and ketones. A grayish powder that is soluble in ether and tetrabydrofuran, LiAlH4 is much more reactive than NaBH4 but also more dangerous. It reacts violently with water and decomposes explosively when heated above 120 °C. 

Manx- different reducing agents are effective, but the most common choice in the laboratory is sodium cyanoborohydride, NaBH3CN. Sodium cyanoboro-hydride is similar in reactivity to sodium borohydride (NaBH4) but is more stable in weak acid solution. 

Trihydrides can be made more readily by using LiAlH4 or NaBH4 as reducing agents ... 

The initial product is a salt of hydrazinesulfonic acid, which is converted to the hydrazine by acid treatment. Diazonium salts can also be reduced to arenes (14-24). N-Nitrosoamines can be denitrosated to secondary amines by a number of reducing agents, including H2 and a catalyst, BF3—THF—NaHC03, and NaBH4— TiCU, as well as by hydrolysis. ... 

Azoxy compounds can be obtained from nitro compounds with certain reducing agents, notably sodium arsenite, sodium ethoxide, NaTeH, NaBH4—PhTeTePh, and glucose. The most probable mechanism with most reagents is that one molecule of nitro compound is reduced to a nitroso compound and another to a hydroxylamine 119-42), and these combine (12-51). The combination step is rapid compared to the reduction process. Nitroso compounds can be reduced to azoxy compounds with triethyl phosphite or triphenylphosphine or with an alkaline aqueous solution of an alcohol. ... 

After separation of excess amalgam a solution of MXj is added. Reaction is rapid and the desired product can be separated from the Na halide or NaCN produced. If the separation of the amalgam is incomplete it is possible for Hg to be incorporated into the product (see 8.3.3.4). To avoid this, other methods of preparing carbonyl anions can be used, such as reaction with NaBH4, Na-K and other reducing agents ", or phase-transfer methods. ... 

As we carefully analyze the first step of this mechanism, we see that the reducing agent (LAH) is simply functioning as a source of H. The mechanism of this first step is the same whether we use LAH or NaBH4. Then, in the second step, a proton source is used to generate the alcohol. 

For purposes of our discussion here, there is one noticeable difference between LAH and NaBH4. Whenever we use LAH, we must provide a proton source after the reaction (after LAH has had a chance to attack the ketone or aldehyde), because LAH is so reactive that it would violently react with water. However, when we use NaBH4 (the milder reducing agent), we do not have to worry about... 

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