Competitive reduction of aldehyde-ketone mixtures by complex hydroborates and hydroaluminates

Abstract

Lithium tri-t-butoxyhydroaluminate, sodium tetrahydroborate and lithium tetrahydroborate, in stoichiometric amounts, reduce benzaldehyde in the presence of acetophenone or butanal in the presence of butanone. Lithium tetrahydroaluminate and lithium cyanatohydroborate are less selective.