SELECTIVE ONE-POT CONVERSION OF CARBOXYLIC-ACIDS INTO ALCOHOLS

Carboxylic acids are converted into alcohols by chemoselective reducti on of their corresponding fluorides with sodium borohydride and dropwi se addition of methanol. The method is general and mild and displays a high level of functional group compatibility. N-Protected amino and p eptide alcohols, bearing varieties of protecting groups, are prepared in the same way from their corresponding amino acids and peptides with out racemization.