Which reagent is commonly used to reduce aldehydes to alcohols?

The choice of sodium borohydride as the reagent for reducing aldehydes to alcohols is appropriate because it is a mild reducing agent specifically effective for this purpose. When sodium borohydride (NaBH4) is used, it donates hydride ions (H-) to the carbonyl carbon in the aldehyde, effectively converting the carbonyl group (C=O) into a primary alcohol (C-OH). This reaction is generally straightforward and occurs under relatively mild conditions, making sodium borohydride a favored choice when working with aldehydes.

Sodium borohydride is particularly useful in organic synthesis because it selectively reduces aldehydes and ketones without affecting other functional groups that may be present in a molecule, making it a valuable reagent for synthetic transformations.

Other reagents also serve to reduce aldehydes, but they may not embody the same specific characteristics or preferences as sodium borohydride. Grignard reagents, while they can react with aldehydes to produce alcohols, typically do so through a different mechanism involving the formation of a magnesium alkoxide which subsequently requires acidic workup. Lithium aluminum hydride is a stronger and less selective reducing agent, capable of reducing a wide range