Reduction
Propanone is reduced to propan-2-ol.
- Reagents
- NaBH4
- Conditions
- Suitable aqueous or alcoholic medium; aqueous work-up
- Reaction class
- Reduction
- Equation
- CH3COCH3 + 2[H] -> CH3CH(OH)CH3
Overview
Propanone is reduced to propan-2-ol.
Transformation
- Equation
- CH3COCH3 + 2[H] -> CH3CH(OH)CH3
- Reagents
- NaBH4
- Environment
- Suitable aqueous or alcoholic medium; aqueous work-up
- Reaction class
- Reduction
- Mechanism
- hydride addition to carbonyl
- Evidence level
- source-backed molecular example
Reference procedure
Residual carbonyl assessment after propanone reduction
Worked-up reduction sample: compare residual propanone with an alcohol reference
Materials and quantities
- Worked-up product sample
- Propanone positive control
- Prepared Brady’s reagent
Apparatus
- Spotting tile
- Separate sample and reference pipettes
Procedure
- Test a separate, fully worked-up aliquot alongside the propanone control.
- Allow the reference observation period: propanone can form its yellow precipitate slowly.
Work-up and isolation
- Use complementary infrared evidence for carbonyl loss and alcohol formation when assessing conversion.
Critical controls
- Record the negative precipitation response and analyse the propan-2-ol product.
- Never apply the acidic test reagent directly to an active hydride mixture.
- Use prepared reagent; do not dry or retain reagent residues.
Practical techniques
Infrared evidence for functional-group change
Use functional-group absorptions and the fingerprint pattern to test a proposed transformation.
Setup
- Check sample identity, background and axis units before assigning absorptions.
- Compare the starting material and product: oxidation may introduce C=O while removing an alcohol O–H feature.
Operating checks
- Water, solvent and unreacted substrate can contribute bands.
- A carbonyl band alone does not distinguish every aldehyde, ketone, acid and ester. Use reference data and complementary evidence; no simulated trace is a measurement.
Scope and limitations
- Scope
- Named propanone example.
- Limitations
- [H] denotes reducing equivalents.
Related reactions
- Oxidation: Propan-2-ol → Propanone
Propan-2-ol is oxidised to propanone.
- Hydration: Propene → Propan-2-ol
Propene gives propan-2-ol through hydration.
- Hydrolysis: 2-Bromopropane → Propan-2-ol
Replacing the carbon-bromine bond with carbon-oxygen bonding produces propan-2-ol. Its central carbon remains secondary, explaining its subsequent oxidation to propanone.
References
- Reduction of aldehydes and ketonesJim Clark · Chemguide · 2015
Named molecular examples and reaction scope, checked 2026-09-08.
- Brady’s test for aldehydes and ketonesRoyal Society of Chemistry · RSC Education
Propanone carbonyl test with a slower yellow precipitate.
- Infrared spectroscopy: introductionRoyal Society of Chemistry · RSC Education
Molecular vibrations, functional-group absorptions and fingerprint comparison; no fabricated sample spectra.