Catalytic Transfer Hydrogenation, A Chemo-Selective Reduction of Isoflavones to Isoflavanones

Abstract
Isoflavones can be selectively reduced by catalytic transfer hydrogenation employing formic acid, ammonium formate or triethylammonium formate in the presence of 10% Pd/C. The reaction is simple, clean and gives fair yields of isoflavanones.