An expedient route for the reduction of carboxylic acids to alcohols employing 1-propanephosphonic acid cyclic anhydride as acid activator

A simple and efficient method for the synthesis of alcohols from the corresponding carboxylic acids is described. Activation of carboxylic acid with 1-propanephosphonic acid cyclic anhydride (T3P) and subsequent reduction using NaBH4 yield the alcohol in excellent yields with good purity. Reduction of several alkyl/aryl carboxylic acids and Nα-protected amino acids/peptide acids as well as Nβ-protected amino acids was successfully carried out to obtain corresponding alcohols in good yields. All the products were fully characterized by 1H NMR and mass spectral analyses. The procedure is mild, simple and the isolation of the products is easy.