General procedure for the synthesis of (R)-2-methoxy-1-propanol from (R)-2-methoxypropionic acid:[1239] 858 μL (8.39 mmol, 1.8 eq.) of borane/dimethyl sulfide complex was slowly added to a solution containing 500 mg (4.66 mmol) of (R)-(+)-2-methoxypropionic acid under argon protection and at 0 °C. The reaction mixture was stirred overnight at room temperature and then 2M aqueous sodium hydroxide solution was added dropwise. After completion of the reaction, phase separation was carried out and the aqueous phase was extracted with dichloromethane. The organic phases were combined, dried over sodium sulfate, filtered, concentrated under reduced pressure (water bath temperature controlled at 300 mbar) and finally dried to give the product. Yield: 490 mg (quantitative). [1240] 1H-NMR (400 MHz, DMSO-d6): δ [ppm] = 4.55 (t, 1H), 3.40-3.31 (m, 1H), 3.30-3.20 (m, 2H), 3.24 (s, 3H), 1.02 (d, 3H).
