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ephemeral1
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Why do you have to add sodium borohydride slowly to reduce benzophenone to benzhydrol? And why do we have to place the reaction in iced water?
Benzophenone is a chemical compound that is commonly used as a photoinitiator in the production of plastics, pharmaceuticals, and fragrances. It is also known as diphenylketone.
The reduction of benzophenone is important because it is a key step in the synthesis of many organic compounds, including pharmaceuticals and fragrances. It is also used in the production of high-performance polymers.
Benzophenone can be reduced using a variety of methods, such as catalytic hydrogenation, metal hydride reduction, and borohydride reduction. These methods involve the addition of hydrogen atoms to the benzophenone molecule, resulting in a reduction of the double bond between the two carbonyl groups.
The products of benzophenone reduction depend on the method used. In catalytic hydrogenation, the product is diphenylmethanol. In metal hydride reduction, the product is benzhydrol. In borohydride reduction, the product is benzhydrolate.
The reduced forms of benzophenone, such as diphenylmethanol and benzhydrol, are used in the production of various products, including fragrances, pharmaceuticals, and high-performance polymers. They are also used as intermediates in the synthesis of other organic compounds.