Abstract
The approximate rate and stoichiometry of the reaction of excess Thexylbromoborane-methyl sulfide, $ThxBHBr{\cdot}SMe_2,$ with selected organic compounds containing representative functional groups under standardized conditions (methylene chloride, $0^{\circ}C)$ were studied in order to characterize the reducing characteristics of the reagent for selective reductions. The selectivity of the reagent was also compared to the selectivity of thexylchloroborane-methyl sulfide. Thexylbromoborane appears to be a much milder and hence more selective reducing agent than thexylchloroborane. The reagent tolerates many organic functionalities. Thus, the reagent shows very little reactivity or no reactivity toward acid chlorides, esters, epoxides, amides, nitro compounds including simple olefins. However, this reagent can reduce aldehydes, ketones, carboxylic acids, nitriles, and sulfoxides. Especially the reagent reduces carboxylic acids including ${\alpha},{\beta}$ -unsaturated ones and nitriles to the corresponding aldehydes. In addition to that, thexylbromoborane shows good stereoselectivity toward cyclic ketones, much better than the chloro-derivative.
