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Significantly improved Bouveault-Blanc conditions for ester reduction have been developed using sodium in silica gel (Na-SG), a free-flowing powder that can be easily handled in the open atmosphere. Primary alcohols were prepared in excellent yield from a variety of aliphatic esters under mild reaction conditions. The chemistry presented here is far safer than the classic Bouveault-Blanc reduction and is competitive with more modern hydride reduction methods.

A novel method for the desulfonation of secondary amines is described. Alkali metals absorbed into nanostructured silica (M-SG) were found to be useful solid-state reagents for the desulfonation of a range of N,N-disubstituted sulfonamides. M-SG reagents are room-temperature-stable free-flowing powders that retain the chemical reactivity of the parent metal, decreasing the danger and associated cost of using reactive metals.

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