Which of the following is a strong reducing agent used to reduce aldehydes, ketones, esters, carboxylic acid chlorides, carboxylic acids and even carboxylate salts to alcohols?

Question

Question

This question was previously asked in

SSC CGL 2022 Tier-I Official Paper (Held On : 07 Dec 2022 Shift 3)

Answer 1

The correct answer is Lithium aluminium hydride.

Key Points

LiAlH₄ is a potent, unselective reducer of polar double bonds that is most often considered to be an H^- source. Aldehydes, ketones, esters, carboxylic acid chlorides, carboxylic acids, and even carboxylate salts will all be converted to alcohols via this process.
Often referred to as LAH, lithium aluminium hydride is an inorganic substance with the chemical formula Li[AlH₄] or LiAlH₄.
It is a white solid that was found in 1947 by Finholt, Bond, and Schlesinger.

Additional Information

Titanium hydride
- In most cases, the term "titanium hydride" refers to the inorganic substance TiH₂ and related nonstoichiometric substances. In addition to being utilised as an additive in the creation of Alnico sintered magnets, metal foam, powdered titanium metal, and pyrotechnics, it is commercially accessible as a stable grey/black powder.
Calcium hydride
- Calcium hydride, often known as alkaline earth hydride, is a chemical compound having the formula CaH2. This grey powder reacts violently with water to release hydrogen gas (white if pure, which is uncommon). CaH₂ is thus employed as a desiccant or drying agent. CaH2 is a saline hydride, which means that it has a salt-like structure.
Bismuth hydride
- The chemical compound known as bismuthine has the formula BiH₃. BiH₃, the heaviest analogue of ammonia (a pnictogen hydride), is unstable and breaks down into bismuth metal at temperatures well below zero degrees. This compound has a pyramidal structure as predicted, with H-Bi-H angles roughly 90 degrees.