Water as a Green Solvent for Fast and Efficient Reduction of Carbonyl Compounds with NaBH4 under Microwave Irradiation

Reduction of varieties of carbonyl compounds such as aldehydes, ketones, α,β‐unsaturated aldehydes and ketones, α‐diketones and acyloins was carried out very fast and efficiently by sodium borohydride in water under microwave irradiation. The corresponding product alcohols were obtained in high to excellent yields.