Important Reducing Agents

In chemistry, the reducing agent is also referred to as a reducer, electron donor, and even reductant, which are the effective elements or the compounds involved in the reaction of redox chemicals. Any metals, acids, or compounds change their original characters and their possible oxidation states are lower by electron donors. Some substances that are commonly used as reducing agents are sulfite compounds, formic acid, Earth metals, and oxalic acid. NaBH4is the chemical formula of Sodium borohydride and is often determined as one of the mild reducing agents. Sodium borohydride only has the ability to reduce ketones and aldehydes to alcohol. 

Reducing Agents: discussion

Reducing agents generally oxidized the chemical compounds present in the reactions to their state of higher valency. One of the major reactants of the “oxidation-reduction” reactions that gradually decreases other reactants by releasing electrons in the redox reaction. Sodium borohydride is a type of reducing agent that is composed of Boron (N), Hydrogen (H), and Sodium (Na). All these components of Sodium borohydride, provide it with a chemical formula NaBH4. Sodium borohydride is much safer than any other major reducing agents or electron donors and in chemistry; it is used widely to reduce ketones and aldehydes to alcohol. 

Sodium borohydride

Sodium borohydride has a chemical formula of NaBH4, which is widely used by chemists in laboratories as an electron donor or a reducing agent. The reduction processes of aldehydes are made safe and straightforward by using Sodium borohydride, as a reducing agent or electron donor. Sodium borohydride, under a proper condition of reaction, acts as a high chemo selective reducer or electron donor. The order that is usually maintained due to enhancing the reactivity among “carbonyl groups” is, “conjugated enones < ketones < conjugated aldehydes < aldehydes”. Chromate also contributes to the reduction process of the chemical compounds as it has the capability to oxidize primary alcohols strongly to prepare “carboxylic acids”. Ketones are prepared when Chromate oxidizes secondary alcohols strongly. 

Zinc amalgam

In chemical reactions like Sodium borohydride, Zinc amalgam is also used as the reducing agent or electron donor. Zinc amalgam acts as an effective reducing agent or reducer mainly in the “Jones reduction”, which is applied in analytical chemistry. The plates of dry batteries that are made up of zinc metal were usually amalgamated with a little amount of “mercury” in order to prevent storage deterioration. In the solution of “liquid-solid” or binary solution, of zinc and mercury, Zinc amalgam is used as the reducing agent or electron donor. The chemical formula of Zinc amalgam is Zn-Hg, which is commonly used in “Clemmensen reduction”, and takes the adjacent ketones to “aromatic rings”, down to the “alkane”. 

Lithium aluminum hydride

Apart from the use of Sodium borohydride, the chemist also uses Lithium aluminum hydride, as one of the vital electron donors in organic synthesis. Lithium aluminum hydride is often used as the reagent in the processing of different organic chemicals, metal hydrides, and pharmaceuticals. One of the metal hydrides like NaH is mainly prepared by the reducing agent Lithium aluminum hydride. It is used as a catalyst for polymerization. This reducer is often considered the potential agent of hydrogen used in storing fuel cells. By the action of the reducing agent “Lithium aluminum hydride”, Nitro ethane is easily reduced to ethylamine, in the presence of “ether”. The chemical formula of Lithium aluminum hydride is LiAlH4, which is also known as chromate oxide, which is obtained from the reaction of Aluminum Chloride and Lithium Hydride in presence of “dry ether”. From this chemical reaction, about 97% of LiAlH4 is derived, which is a crystalline white solid (physical property). 

Conclusion 

Reducing agents are one of the major reactants involved in the reaction of “oxidation-reduction” which helps to reduce other reactants by releasing electrons in the redox reaction. There are many major reducing agents used as reducer agents in “oxidation-reduction” reactions, such as Lithium aluminum hydride, Sodium borohydride, and Zinc amalgam. Other substances, which also behave as good electron donors, are iodide, and reducing sugars. Hydrogen gas is often considered a good reducing agent or reducer when it is carried over hot “metallic oxides” such as lead, copper, and iron. It usually removes O2 (Oxygen) from metallic oxides components to reduce them to their “original metal state”.