quantitative reduction of aromatic aldehydes, ketones, diketones and oxo aldehydes to alcohols by use of TiCl3/NH3 in aqueous methanol solution is reported. The reducing system distinguishes between different classes of aldehydes and/or ketones, and many functionalities that usually do not survive under reducing conditions are tolerated well. The concept of reversal of chemoselectivity has also been developed
Cyclometalated iridium complexes are shown to be highly efficient and chemoselectivecatalysts for the transferhydrogenation of a wide range of carbonyl groups with formic acid in water. Examples include α‐substituted ketones (α‐ether, α‐halo, α‐hydroxy, α‐amino, α‐nitrile or α‐ester), α‐keto esters, β‐keto esters and α,β‐unsaturated aldehydes. The reduction was carried out at substrate/catalyst ratios of