Norcamphor selective reduction

Selective reductions. Brown et al.2 conducted an extensive study of reductions with diborane in THF. Most aldehydes and ketones are readily reduced unusually high stereoselectivity was realized in the case of norcamphor, which was reduced to 98% endo-norbornanol and 2% exo-norbornanol. p-Benzoquinone is reduced to hydroquinone at a moderate rate, but reduction of anthraquinone is sluggish. Carboxylic acids are reduced very rapidly indeed this group can be reduced selectively in the presence of many other substituents. Acid chlorides react much more slowly than carboxylic acids. Esters and ketones are reduced relatively slowly. Reactions with epoxides are relatively slow and complex. 

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