Final answer:
Borohydride reduction of vanillin to vanillyl alcohol is a chemical reaction where the aldehyde group in vanillin is reduced to a primary alcohol by sodium borohydride, resulting in vanillyl alcohol. This reduction is an example of nucleophilic addition of hydride ions to an aldehyde, leading to the gain of hydrogen and the formation of an alcohol.
Step-by-step explanation:
The borohydride reduction of vanillin to vanillyl alcohol involves the conversion of the aldehyde group in vanillin to a primary alcohol, resulting in vanillyl alcohol. This chemical reaction is typically carried out using a reducing agent such as sodium borohydride (NaBH₄), which provides hydride ions (H-) that add to the carbonyl carbon (C=O) of the aldehyde. The reduction can be summarized with the following chemical reaction:
Vanillin (C₈H₈O₃) + NaBH₄ + H₂O → Vanillyl alcohol (C₈H₁₀O₂) + NaBO₂ + H₂
In this process, sodium borohydride acts as the reducing agent, donating hydride ions that attack the electrophilic carbon of the aldehyde group, leading to the formation of an alcohol group. This reaction is a type of nucleophilic addition where a hydride ion is added across the carbon-oxygen double bond of the aldehyde to form the alcohol. The reduction of vanillin is an example of a broader chemical process in which aldehydes are reduced to their corresponding alcohols, following a general pattern where reduction entails the gain of hydrogen atoms or equivalents.