Reductive Transformations with Sodium Borohydride and Their Applications

Since its discovery by H. C. Brown and H. I. Schlesinger in 1943, sodium borohydride (NaBH4, SBH) has become one of the most widely used organometallic reducing agents, with applications in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, flavors and fragrances, and other industrial sectors like electronics, pulp and paper industry, water treatment and metal recovery, surfactants, textiles, in the hops processing and as a hydrogen carrier. This review focuses on its recent applications in organic synthesis, emphasizing the advantages of SBH over alternative reducing agents and discussing its relevance across key industrial sectors.