Sodium triacetoxyborohydride, NaBH(OAc)3 is a mild reducing agent that reduces aldehydes much more quickly than ketones. It can be used to reduce aldehydes in the presence of ketones, such as in the following reaction:

(a) Draw a complete Lewis structure for sodium triacetoxyborohydride.
(b) Propose a mechanism for the reduction of an aldehyde by sodium triacetoxyborohydride.

Transcribed Image Text:

он ーCH-_-C-H NaBH(OAc)3 -CH3COOH CH3-C CH2 CH2