An efficient method to effect chemoselective reduction of alkenes (including trisubstituted olefins) possessing various sensitive and/or reducible groups such as acetals, allylic alcohols, benzyl ethers, epoxides, esters, halides, nitriles, and sulfones is reported. The reduction is facile at 0° C in aqueous N, N-dimethylacetamide containing sodium borohydride in the presence of 15mol% ruthenium (III) chloride. Regioselective reduction ...
