Transfer Hydrogenation Reaction Of Ketones And Formic Acid Under Hydrothermal Conditions Without A Catalyst

The hydrothermal experiments with ketones and formic acid showed that the hydrogen transfer reduction of ketones can be conducted with formic acid as a hydride donor in the presence of NaOH at 300 C. The yield of alcohols was considerably higher at a much lower ratio of hydrogen source to ketones than the traditional Meerwein-Ponndorf-Verley reduction, reaching 60% for isopropanol from acetone and 70% for lactic acid from pyruvic acid. Water molecules as a catalyst may directly participate in the transition state by making a hydrogen-bond ring network with the substrate molecules.