Reduction of a ketone with sodium borohydride or lithium aluminium hydride gives

  • A. a primary alcohol
  • B. a carboxylic acid
  • C. a secondary alcohol
  • D. an alkane

Explanation

The hydride ion adds to the carbonyl carbon, which then carries two alkyl groups and a hydroxyl, so the product is a secondary alcohol. An aldehyde reduced in the same way gives a primary alcohol. Reduction is simply the reverse of the oxidation that produced the carbonyl compound in the first place.

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