Zirconium Borohydride - a Versatile Reducing Agent for the Reduction of Electrophilic and Nucleophilic Substrates

Zirconium borohydride, a potential reducing agent, reduces acids, esters, imines to the corresponding alcohols and secondary amines in good yield at room temperature within two hours. This facile reducing property was taken advantage off in the synthesis of pheromones and some novel chiral precursors for asymmetric synthesis.