KB3H8: an environment-friendly reagent for the selective reduction of aldehydes and ketones to alcohols.

Selective reduction of aldehydes and ketones to their corresponding alcohols with KB3H8, an air- and moisture-stable, nontoxic, and easy-to-handle reagent, in water and THF has been explored under an air atmosphere for the first time. Control experiments illustrated the good selectivity of KB3H8 over NaBH4 for the reduction of 4-acetylbenzaldehyde and aromatic keto esters.