Freebase PFED reduction via PTC?

[ahgreich]

After some preliminary reading about PTC's, and, since pfed fb is soluble in organic solvents, what possible reducing ion could be in an aqueous phase and be transported into the organic layer via a quat salt to do the dirty work?
Info would be appreciated.

[Vitus_Verdegast]

I dunno.

But I can tell you that borohydride and lithium alanate can be used in conjunction with a quaternary ammonium salt.

However, it is widely believed that these species formed are no useful reductants, as the metal cation seems to be important for the chelation of the reactants. In preference to isolating these as pure compounds, catalytic processes with small amounts of PTC in addition to the reducing agent are preferred.

Dissolving metal reductions can be conducted if (expensive) crown ethers are used.