Sodium borohydride → 1-Nitro-2-phenylethane

To a stirring mixture of trans-β-nitrostyrene (5.25 g, 0.035 mol) and silica gel (10 g, 230-400 mesh) in chloroform (400 mL) and isopropanol (75 mL) at room temperature, was slowly added sodium borohydride (5.50 g, 0.145 mol) over a period of 45 min. The reaction mixture was stirred for an additional 15 min and then carefully quenched with 10% hydrochloric acid (20 mL). Separated solid was filtered and washed with chloroform (50 mL). Combined filtrate and washing was washed with water (1×20 mL), brine (1×20 mL) and dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate. Solvent evaporation at reduced pressure gave a crude material which was purified by flash chromatography (silica gel, 8% ethyl acetate-hexane) to give 2.86 g of 1-nitro-2-phenylethane as a colorless oil (spicy odor); Rf (10% ethyl acetate in hexane) : 0.40; 1H-NMR (300 MHz, CDCl3) 7.40-7.20 (m, 5H), 4.60 (t, 2H), 3.30 (t, 2H).