A simple and efficient radical reduction using water-soluble radical initiator and hypophosphorous acid in aqueous alcohol

A simple, mild, and high-yielding procedure for the reduction of various halogenated compounds using a combination of the water-soluble radical initiator, 2,2′-azobis[2-(2-imidazolin-2-yl)propane] (VA-061), a water-soluble chain carrier, hypophosphorous acid, and the base, triethylamine, in aqueous alcohol is described. The reagents used in this method are all water soluble, and therefore, an almost pure desired product can be readily obtained using only an extraction procedure.