In this lab benzoin was reduced with sodium borohydride, a reducing agent, to produce an alcohol. The starting materials were reacted using conditions specific to the reaction being performed and the target product was obtained in 35.19% yield. When an aldehyde or ketone is reacted with NaBH4, followed by an acidic-water workup, an alcohol is the product. The product was analyzed using Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC) and by obtaining melting points. The spots on plate 1 indicate that the recrystallized product (spot B) only contained one component. The component’s rf value was found to be 0.43 that when compared to the spots found on B which have rf values of 0.87 and 0.91, is more polar. An alcohol is more polar than an alcohol or ketone, which indicated that the product was correctly obtained.
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