Water works as medium for reactions that reduce carboxylic acids
Catalytic system works on a wide range of acid substrates and doesn’t require precious metals or air and moisture intolerant reagents
Researchers in the US have developed a catalytic system for reducing carboxylic acids to aldehydes and alcohols in water.1 Critically, their system avoids the use of air and moisture intolerant reagents, precious metals and specialised ligands.