Rapid and selective reduction of adehydes, ketones, phenol, and alkenes with Ni–boride–silica catalysts system at low temperature

A superior process for reduction a range of 17 aliphatic and aromatic functional groups with 100% conversion and selectivity is achieved with 5% Ni loaded on SiO2 support as catalyst and NaBH4, by in situ generation of Ni–boride in methanol, in short reaction duration (5 min) at low temperature (≈0 °C). Seventeen, substituted aromatics with functional groups CO, C–X, and CC were converted to their respective products with 100% conversion and 100% selectivity in 5 min. Phenol is transformed to cyclohexanol with 100% selectivity, but with 20% conversion efficiency.

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