Poly(vinylpyrrolidone)-Grafted Silica as Polymeric Cosolvent Catalyst for Chemoselective Reduction of Aldehydes and Ketones to Alcohols

Abstract

Poly(vinylpyrrolidone)-grafted silica as a polymeric cosolvent catalyst was prepared. This heterogeneous catalyst is used for the chemoselective conversion of various aliphatic, aromatic and heterocyclic aldehydes and ketones to their corresponding alcohols with sodium borohydride in high yields and short reaction times. This catalytic system reduces α, β-unsaturated aldehydes to produce allyl alcohols as an important synthetic precursors. The catalyst can be reused several times without any considerable decrease in its activity.