EXPERTISE RUNS DEEP
Chematek has been at the heart of reduction chemistry since the 1980s, when we introduced sodium borohydride to Italy's pharmaceutical sector — then one of the world's foremost centres of chemical innovation. That experience established us not merely as a supplier, but as innovators and thought leaders in reduction chemistry. A reputation four decades in the making.
INTELLIGENCE BUILT OVER DECADES
Thousands of industrial case studies, a comprehensive reaction database, and a dedicated process chemistry laboratory represent a body of applied knowledge that simply cannot be shortcut. When clients bring us a reduction challenge, they are drawing on accumulated intelligence across substrates, solvents, industries, and scales that is genuinely difficult to replicate.
MASTERY ACROSS THE SPECTRUM
From mild polar borohydrides to highly selective liquid hydrides engineered for non-polar systems, Chematek's portfolio spans the complete spectrum of hydride-based reduction chemistry. Whatever the system, whatever the substrate — we have the chemistry, the experience, and the expertise to deliver.
Chematek’s reduction chemistry platform spans the full polarity range — from borohydrides for polar systems to engineered liquid hydrides for non-polar systems, including intermediate systems.
This unique breadth enables process chemists to design safer, more selective, and scalable reductions in any solvent domain — from aqueous to aromatic.
Polar Systems
Mild, water-compatible solvent environments enabling controlled, chemoselective reductions.
Intermediate Systems
Amphiphilic or mixed-solvent systems where reactivity and selectivity are tuned through solvent balance.
Non-Polar Systems
Low-polarity, moisture-controlled environments enabling selective reductions with engineered liquid hydrides.
Polar Systems: Borohydride Reductions
Reliable & Selective
Chematek’s borohydride portfolio forms the foundation of modern reduction chemistry, delivering proven performance under mild, water-compatible, and easily controlled conditions. Ideal for polar systems such as alcohols, ethers, DMF, and DMSO — where mild conditions and chemoselectivity are critical.
Core Polar Reagents
Sodium borohydride (NaBH₄)
Potassium borohydride (KBH₄)
Lithium borohydride (LiBH₄)*
Sodium triacetoxyborohydride (STAB)
Sodium cyanoborohydride (NaBH₃CN)
*Also used in intermediate systems
Typical Applications
Aldehydes → Primary Alcohols
Ketones → Secondary Alcohols
Imines → Amines
α,β-Unsaturated Carbonyls → Alcohols
Metal Salts → Metals (nanoparticles, catalysts)
Intermediate Systems: Custom Selection
Amphiphilic or mixed-solvent systems
Between polar and non-polar extremes lies a wide operational space — intermediate systems (e.g. THF, 2-MeTHF, anisole, toluene–THF mixtures) — where both borohydrides and next-generation hydrides can perform effectively.
Core Products & Services
Chematek’s experts help partners select the right reagent–solvent combination to optimise selectivity, safety, and work-up efficiency.
Typical Applications
Our process knowledge and laboratory capability enable seamless optimisation across the full solvent polarity spectrum.
Non - Polar Systems: Engineered Liquid Hydrides
Engineered Liquid Hydrides
Chematek’s next-generation hydrides combine the selectivity with modern safety and scalability.
Developed for real-world API and intermediate synthesis, these engineered liquid reagents provide clean reaction profiles, safer handling, and efficient scale-up — bridging the gap between classical organometallic reactivity and industrial practicality.
Core Non-Polar Reagents
Synhydrid® — sodium bis(2-methoxyethoxy)aluminium hydride (in toluene). Exclusive global distribution and technical partnership by Chematek.
Piperhydride® — Chematek proprietary liquid hydride derived from Synhydrid®. Designed for selective reductions of amides, nitriles, and esters under mild, scalable conditions
Typical Applications
Esters → Aldehydes / Alcohols
Amides → Aldehydes
Nitriles → Aldehydes
Acid Chlorides → Alcohols
Lactones → Lactols
Ideal for non-polar, moisture-sensitive systems where traditional hydrides are difficult to manage.
Functional Group Mastery
Chematek’s functional group mastery is built on decades of repeated, real-world reduction chemistry across a wide range of substrates, solvent systems, and process constraints.
This depth of experience—spanning polar, intermediate, and non-polar systems—allows us to understand not just how hydrides behave in theory, but how functional groups respond in practice under industrial conditions.
Our Partners
Chematek supports organisations that develop and manufacture high-value molecules where selectivity, safety, and scale matter.
CDMOS
End-to-end support from route scouting and reagent substitution to tech transfer and scale-up.
API Manufacturers
Modernising legacy reductions, improving impurity profiles, and securing resilient supply.
Tollers/Custom Manufacturers
Process-ready hydrides delivered with reliable global fulfilment.
Confidentiality and Collaboration
Chematek’s ability to deliver real process impact rests not only on what we make, but on how we work.
Our partnerships are built on technical depth, transparency, and absolute discretion — ensuring that every collaboration, from reagent evaluation to full process transfer, is handled with the same precision and care as the chemistry itself.
This commitment to structured, secure collaboration underpins all Chematek relationships and enables genuine innovation across the full spectrum of reduction chemistry.
Why Work With Us?
Chematek occupies a unique position at the intersection of deep technical expertise and global delivery capability. Few organisations combine decades of applied hydride know-how, a purpose-built reduction chemistry laboratory, and an established worldwide logistics network.
For over forty years, Chematek has supported CDMOs, API manufacturers, and fine chemical producers in modernising reduction chemistry — replacing hazardous reagents, improving selectivity, and securing resilient global supply chains.
Our Products
Synhydrid®
CAS: 22722-98-1
Sodium bis(2- methoxyethoxy) aluminium hydride in toluene
Synhydrid® performs reduction reactions, transforming functional groups by means of hydride addition. It can reduce esters and acids to alcohols or aldehydes, ketones to secondary aldehydes, amides and nitriles to amines, lactones to diols or lactols.
Format:
Clear Liquid; 70% w/w solution in toluene.
Packaging:
200g lab samples;
15kg; 25kg; 50kg and 200kg steel drums;
1000kg returnable pressurized containers.
Piperhydride®
CAS: 71128-61-5
Solution of sodium bis(2-methoxyethoxy)(4-methylpiperazin-1-yl)aluminium hydride
Piperhydride® was developed in response to more stringent safety, legal and environmental requirements. It is a safe and cost-effective replacement for DIBAL-H in existing processes.
Format:
Clear liquid
Packaging:
15kg in 20 Litre Steel Drum (1A1/X)
Sodium Borohydride
CAS: 16940-66-2
Sodium Borohydride is a versatile reducing agent used in organic synthesis for the reduction of various functional groups, including aldehydes, ketones, and nitro compounds, among others. It is also used in the preparation of boranes, in the production of paper and textiles, as a bleaching agent for wood pulp, and as a hydrogen source for fuel cells.
Format & Packaging:
Solid Powder: 50kg Alu-bags in drum (5*10kg)
Solid Powder: 10kg Alu-bags in drum (10 x 1kg)
Solid Granular: 50kg Alu-bags in drum (5*10kg)
Liquid – 12% Solution in 40% caustic Soda: IBC (1 ton/1.25ton/1.4ton)
Liquid – 12% Solution in 40% caustic Soda: Drums (25kg; 200kg)
Lithium Borohydride
CAS: 16949-15-8
Lithium Borohydride (LiBH₄) is a powerful reducing agent used in organic synthesis for the reduction of a broader range of functional groups, including aldehydes, ketones, esters, amides, and nitriles. Compared to sodium and potassium borohydride, lithium borohydride exhibits higher reactivity and is more soluble in ether solvents, enabling efficient reductions under conditions where milder borohydrides are less effective.
Format & Packaging
Solid – Powder: Alu-bags in drum (10 x 1kg)
Solid – Powder: Alu-bags in drum (32 x 1kg)
Liquid – 4M in THF: Drum (150kg)
Potassium Borohydride
CAS: 13762-51-1
Potassium Borohydride (KBH4) is a reducing agent used in organic synthesis for the reduction of various functional groups, including aldehydes, ketones, esters, and carboxylic acids. Like sodium borohydride, it can also be used in the preparation of boranes. Potassium borohydride can be more soluble than Sodium Borohydride in some solvents, which can make it easier to use in certain reactions.
Format & Packaging
Solid – Crystals: 50kg Alu-bags (5X10kg)
Sodium Cyano-Borohydride
CAS: 25895-60-7
Sodium Cyanoborohydride (NaBH₃CN) is a mild and selective reducing agent widely used in organic synthesis, particularly for the reduction of imines and Schiff bases. Its controlled reactivity allows selective reductive amination in the presence of aldehydes and ketones, making it especially valuable in pharmaceutical and fine chemical synthesis.
Format & Packaging:
Solid: Custom Packaging
Sodium Triacetoxy-Borohydride
CAS: 56553-60-7
Sodium Triacetoxyborohydride (STAB) is a selective reducing agent commonly employed in reductive amination reactions under mildly acidic conditions. It offers improved chemoselectivity compared to sodium borohydride, enabling efficient conversion of imines to amines while minimising unwanted reduction of carbonyl functional groups.
Format & Packaging
Solid: 25kg Drum (10*2.5kg)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is meant by full-spectrum reduction chemistry?
Full-spectrum reduction chemistry means Chematek can support reduction steps across the full solvent polarity range—using the right hydride technology for each environment.
How do you define Polar, Intermediate, and Non-Polar Systems?
Polar Systems are water-compatible or highly polar solvents where borohydrides perform reliably; Intermediate Systems are mixed or amphiphilic solvents (e.g., THF, 2-MeTHF, anisole and blends) where selectivity is tuned; Non-Polar Systems are moisture-controlled, low-polarity solvents (e.g., toluene, heptane, xylene) where engineered liquid hydrides deliver selective performance.
How does Chematek select the most suitable hydride reagent for a given functional group or process environment?
We start from the target conversion and required selectivity, then evaluate solvent system, substrate solubility, impurity risk, quench strategy, and scale constraints. Using lab data and industrial case experience, we recommend a reagent–solvent combination that best balances selectivity, safety, work-up simplicity, and scalability.
What are the key differences between borohydride reductions and engineered liquid hydride technologies?
Borohydrides are widely used, robust hydrides that typically excel in Polar Systems and many Intermediate Systems, offering reliable reductions under controlled conditions. Engineered liquid hydrides are engineered for Non-Polar Systems, delivering strong selectivity with operational advantages such as controlled dosing, cleaner profiles, and improved scale practicality for certain challenging transformations.
Why are Synhydrid® and Piperhydride® considered safer alternatives to traditional reagents like LAH or DIBAL-H?
Synhydrid® and Piperhydride® are designed as engineered liquid hydrides that deliver targeted reactivity with improved handling and process control in Non-Polar Systems. In many use cases they can reduce operational risk through simpler charging, more predictable behaviour, and cleaner work-ups, supporting safer implementation at scale.
What advantages do liquid hydrides offer compared to solid or powdered reagents in large-scale manufacturing?
Liquid hydrides can improve dosing accuracy, transfer safety, and process repeatability, especially at scale. They often reduce dust-handling concerns, enable more controlled addition profiles, and can simplify plant operations where consistent feed and predictable kinetics are critical.
What safety measures are essential when handling and quenching hydride reagents at scale?
Key measures include controlled addition strategies, appropriate inert handling where required, robust temperature control, and a validated quench protocol designed for the specific reagent–solvent system. Safe scale-up also depends on mixing performance, venting/containment, staged quenching, and clear SOPs aligned to plant equipment and hazard assessments.
Can Chematek assist with reagent substitution or step modernisation in existing API or intermediate synthesis routes?
Yes. Chematek supports reagent substitution, step modernisation, and selectivity improvement across Polar, Intermediate, and Non-Polar Systems. Our work typically focuses on reducing operational risk, improving impurity profiles, simplifying work-up, and strengthening supply resilience without sacrificing performance.
What types of functional group transformations can be achieved using Chematek’s hydride range?
Chematek supports a wide range of reductions including carbonyls to alcohols, imines to amines, and more selective transformations such as esters/amides/nitriles to aldehydes (system- and reagent-dependent). The practical scope is determined by functional group context, solvent system, and selectivity target, which Chematek helps define and optimise.
How does Chematek’s laboratory support scale-up, impurity profiling, and process optimisation?
Our reduction chemistry lab is built to generate actionable process data—screening reagent–solvent options, mapping selectivity windows, and identifying impurity pathways. We support scale translation by developing repeatable operating envelopes, work-up guidance, and documentation packages suitable for technology transfer.
What makes Chematek’s approach to reduction chemistry unique compared to other reagent suppliers?
Chematek combines a full-spectrum hydride portfolio with specialist reduction expertise and global fulfilment capability. We don’t just supply products—we help customers choose the right system (Polar vs Intermediate vs Non-Polar), optimise performance, and implement solutions reliably at manufacturing scale.
In what industries beyond pharmaceuticals can Chematek’s hydrides be applied effectively?
Beyond pharmaceuticals, Chematek’s reduction chemistry capabilities are applicable across fine and specialty chemicals, agrochemicals, flavours and fragrances, and selected advanced materials applications—especially where selective reductions and controlled work-ups are important.
How does Chematek ensure consistent reagent quality and supply security across its global network
We support customers through qualified supply pathways, consistent specifications, and robust logistics execution across our global distribution footprint. Multi-hub capability improves continuity, lead times, and responsiveness while maintaining traceability and documentation aligned to customer requirements.
What collaboration models does Chematek offer for CDMOs, tollers, and manufacturers?
Chematek supports multiple models including fee-for-service technical support, joint development programmes, strategic multi-project partnerships, and technology licensing / revenue-sharing structures where appropriate. The model is tailored to the project’s scope, timeline, and confidentiality requirements.
How does Chematek maintain confidentiality and IP protection during joint development projects?
We operate with formal NDAs, defined project leadership, and need-to-know technical teams supported by controlled data handling. Project materials are managed in secure environments, and lab access/workflows are structured to protect partner information throughout development and transfer.
How does solvent polarity influence hydride reactivity, selectivity, and quench behaviour?
Solvent polarity affects how hydrides solvate, aggregate, and interact with substrates, which changes reaction rate and chemoselectivity. It also influences heat release, gas evolution, and phase behaviour during quench and work-up, which can be decisive for scale-up safety and impurity control—especially in Intermediate Systems, where small solvent shifts can produce large outcome changes.
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