Reduction of Carbonyl Function to a Methyl Group

A direct exhaustive reduction of aliphatic carbonyl functions (aldehydes, acyl chlorides, esters and carboxylic acids) to a methyl group by triethylsilane (Et 3 SiH) in the presence of catalytic amount of tris(pcntafluorophenyl)borane ‖B(C 6 F 5 ) 3 ] is described. Aromatic carbonyl functions could undergo partial reduction to the corresponding TES-protected benzylic alcohols.