(5-formylfuran-2-yl)methyl formate

Conditions: temp:0.00; pressure:0.00; stir:; See reaction.notes.procedure_details.

Procedure: Sodium borane (1.2 g, 32 mmol) was added to a solution of 5-formylfuran-2-yl-methyl formate (5.05 g, 30 mmol) in absolute ethanol (150 mL) at 0° C. Then it was warmed to room temperature and stirred for 48 hours. Then it was cooled to 0° C. and acidified with concentrated hydrochloric acid to pH 4 and then neutralized immediately with 5% sodium hydrogen carbonate solution. The mixture was filtered and the filtrate was evaporated to dryness under vacuum. The residue was taken up in ethanol (30 mL), filtered, and the filtrate was concentrated to dryness. Then it was cooled to 0° C. The mixture was filtered the filtrate was evaporated to dryness under vacuum filtered the filtrate was concentrated to dryness