Selective Reduction of Organic Compounds with Al-Methanesulfonyldiisobutylalane

The new MPV type reagent, Al-methanesulfonyldiisobutylalane ($DIBAO_3SCH_3$), has been prepared and its reducing characteristics in the reduction of selected organic compounds containing representative functional groups have been examined in order to find out a new reducing system with high selectivity in organic synthesis. In general, the reagent is extremely mild, showing only reactivity toward aldehydes, ketones and epoxides. The reagent exhibits a unique reducing applicability in organic synthesis. Thus, the reagent can achieve a clean 1,2-reduction of $\alpha,\beta$-unsaturated aldehydes and ketones to produce the corresponding allylic alcohols in 100% purity. In addition, the reagent shows an excellent regioselectivity in the ring-opening reaction of epoxides. Finally, $DIBAO_3SCH_3$ shows a high stereoselectivity in the reduction of cyclic ketones to produce the thermodynamically more stable epimers exclusively.