One-Pot Reduction of Carboxylic Acids via O-Acylisoureas

Abstract

A simple one-pot reduction of aliphatic carboxylic acids to primary alcohols, by treatment with dicyclohexylcarbodiimide followed by lithium borohydride, is reported. The same methodology applied to aromatic carboxylic acids is shown to give a mixture of the alcohols with N-cyclohexylcarboxamides.