Organic Chemistry : Organic Reducing Agents
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Example Questions
Example Question #21 : Redox Chemistry
What is the product of the given reaction?
I
V
II
IV
III
IV
First step: esterification
Second step: lithium aluminum hydride reduction
Third step: neutralization to form primary alcohol
Fourth step: SN2 reaction to form final chlorinated product
Example Question #2 : Using Lithium Aluminum Hydride
What is the result of the following reaction?
All of the above
Lithium Aluminum Hydride is a potent reducing agent; it has the ability to turn esters and aldehydes into primary alcohols, and ketones into secondary alcohols. The starting material is an aldehyde, so the correct answer is thus a primary alcohol ONLY.
Example Question #22 : Redox Chemistry
Which of the following is not a reducing agent?
All of the other listed compounds are reducing agents.
Example Question #1 : Using Other Organic Reducing Agents
Which reagents reduce alkynes to trans alkenes?
Meta-Chloroperoxybenzoic acid
Example Question #3 : Using Other Organic Reducing Agents
Identify the major product of the pictured reaction. Assume workup.
1. 
2. 
3. 
4. 
This is a standard organolithium reaction.
The organolithium product can be thought of as a strong nucleophile. The carbon steals an electron from the lithium to create 
Example Question #3 : Using Other Organic Reducing Agents
Which of the following compounds is not an oxidizing agent?
Example Question #5 : Using Other Organic Reducing Agents
Which of the following would be the product of the reaction given?
Alkenes can be reduced in the presence of 
Note that the three carbon-carbon double bonds in the aromatic ring in the presence of the reducing agent does not get reduced because they are extremely stable due to resonance.
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