---
title: "Reduction with NaBH₄ Template – Chemistry Diagram | MolDraw"
url: https://www.moldraw.com/templates/nabh4-reduction/
description: "Reduction with NaBH₄ template: Borohydride delivers H⁻ to acetone and methanol protonates the alkoxide to give propan-2-ol. Preview it, then open and edit it…"
lang: en
publisher: Scidart Academy
generated: 2026-10-28
---
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# Reduction with NaBH₄ template

![Reduction with NaBH₄ template: Borohydride delivers H⁻ to acetone and methanol protonates the alkoxide to give propan-2-ol.](https://www.moldraw.com/templates/nabh4-reduction.webp)

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Borohydride delivers H⁻ to acetone and methanol protonates the alkoxide to give propan-2-ol.

## Mechanism step by step

Hydride adds to the carbonyl carbon; the solvent protonates the alkoxide

1. **Hydride transfer** – B–H electrons attack the C=O carbon
2. **Protonation** – Methanol protonates the alkoxide

## Key points

- Aldehydes give 1° alcohols, ketones 2° alcohols.
- NaBH₄ is mild: esters, acids and amides are untouched; LiAlH₄ reduces them too.
- Each BH₄⁻ can deliver up to four hydrides.
- Hydride attacks the less hindered face of a cyclic ketone.

Drawn with 32 atoms, 7 arrows, 4 shapes – every one editable in MolDraw.

## Sources

- [Clayden, Greeves & Warren, Organic Chemistry, 2nd ed., OUP 2012, ch. 6](https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780199270293) Textbook
- [Smith, March's Advanced Organic Chemistry, 8th ed., Wiley 2020](https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9781119371809) Textbook

## How to use this template

1. Press **Edit in MolDraw**. The template opens on the canvas of the free MolDraw editor.
2. Change anything: move structures, edit atoms and labels, recolour highlights or delete what you do not need.
3. Add your own structures, arrows and text next to it, or combine several templates on one page.
4. Export the drawing as PNG, SVG or PDF for slides, worksheets, theses and papers.

## Frequently asked questions

### Is the Reduction with NaBH₄ template free?

You can preview the Reduction with NaBH₄ template here and open and edit it in MolDraw for free. Downloading or exporting it is part of MolDraw Pro, together with the other premium templates.

### Can I edit the Reduction with NaBH₄ template?

Yes. It opens as an ordinary MolDraw drawing, so every structure, arrow, label and colour can be changed, and you can add your own content around it.

### Is the chemistry checked?

Every structure is checked with RDKit and every curly arrow passes MolDraw’s electron-flow audit. The sources used are listed on this page.

### What is a curly-arrow mechanism template?

A ready-made drawing of a reaction mechanism in which curved arrows show where electron pairs move in each step. You can open it in MolDraw, change the substrate and reuse it.

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