Sodium dihydro borate

Primary aliphatic nitro compounds can be reduced to nitriles with sodium dihydro(trithio)borate " or with f-BuN=C/BuN=C=0. Secondary compounds give mostly ketones (e.g., nitrocyclohexane gave 45% cyclohexanone, 30% cyclohexanone oxime, and 19% A-cyclohexylhydroxylamine). Tertiary aliphatic nitro compounds do not react with this reagent. See also 19-41. 

The preparations of lithium and sodium (cyclooctane-1,5-diyl)dihydro-borates(l-) in tetrahydrofuran proceed via isolable, stable etherates. These can be made solvent-free simply by heating under vacuum. 9-Borabicyclo[3.3.1 ]-nonane dimer (9-BBN) can easily be prepared from cycloocta-1,5-diene2 by reaction with tetraethyldiborane(6), tetrahydrofuran-borane8,9 or dimethyl sulfide-borane.10 The synthesis of alkali metal (cyclooctane-1,5-diyl)dihydroborates is achieved by addition of 9-BBN to a suspension of the alkali metal hydride in tetrahydrofuran. Lithium hydride reacts more slowly than sodium or potassium hydride. The reactions are brought to completion by heating under reflux. 

---