Organic Chemistry Portal
Chemicals

Reducing Agents

AcSH

ADH

Alcohol dehydrogenase

Ammonia borane

Ascorbic Acid

BBA

9-BBN

Benzaldehyde

Benzyl alcohol

Bis(neopentylglycolato)diboron

Bis(pinacolato)diboron

Bis-boric acid

9-Borabicyclo[3.3.1]nonane

Boranes

Borane ammonia complex

Borane trimethylamine complex

2-Butanol

Calcium hypophosphite

Catecholborane

Carrots

CHD

Copper hydride

Copper (low valent)

Chromium (low valent)

1,4-Cyclohexadiene

Daucus Carota

Decaborane

DEMS

DIBAL-H

Diborane

Diethoxymethylsilane

Diethyl 1,4-dihydro-2,6-dimethyl-3,5-pyridinedicarboxylate

Diethylsilane

Diisobutylaluminium hydride

Diisopropylaminoborane

Dimethoxymethylsilane

4-Dimethylaminopyridine borane

1,3-Dimethylimidazol-2-ylidene borane

Dimethylsulfide borane

1,4-Dioxane

Diphenylsilane

DMAP-BH3

DMMS

DMSB

Ethanol

Fe

Formaldehyde

Formic acid

Hantzsch Ester

Hydrazine

Hydrogen

Hypophosphorous acid

Indium (low valent)

Iron

Isopropanol

LAH

LiTEBH

Lithium

Lithium aluminum hydride

Lithium tetrahydridoaluminate

Lithium tri-tert-butoxyaluminum hydride

Lithium triethylborohydride

LTBA

Magnesium

Manganese

3-Mercaptopropionic acid

Methanol

Methylhydrazine

2-Methylpyridine borane

Molybdenum hexacarbonyl

3-MPA

NaADBH

NBSH

Neodymium (low valent)

Nickel

Nickel borohydride

Niobium (low valent)

2-Nitrobenzenesulfonylhydrazide

Phenylsilane

Phosphorous acid

PICB

α-Picoline-borane

Pinacolborane

PMHS

P(NMe2)3

Polymethylhydrosiloxane

Potassium

Potassium borohydride

Potassium iodide

Potassium tetrahydroborate

2-Propanol

Red-Al

Rongalite

Samarium (low valent)

Schwartz's Reagent

sec-Butanol

Selenium

Silanes

Sodium

Sodium aminodiboranate

Sodium bis(2-methoxyethoxy)aluminumhydride

Sodium bisulfite

Sodium borohydride

Sodium cyanoborohydride

Sodium dithionite

Sodium hydrogensulfite

Sodium hydrosulfite

Sodium hydroxymethanesulfinate

Sodium hypophosphite

Sodium tetrahydroborate

Sodium triacetoxyborohydride

Strontium

Sulfur

Superhydride

TDAE

Tetrahydroxydiboron

Tetrakis(dimethylamino)ethylene

Tetrabutylammonium borohydride

Tetramethyldisiloxane

Thioacetic acid

Tin hydrides

Titanium (low valent)

TMDSO

p-Toluenesulfonyl hydrazide

Tributylstannane

Tributyltin hydride

Tributylphosphine

Trichlorosilane

Triethoxysilane

Triethylphosphine

Triethylsilane

Trimethylamine borane

Trimethylphoshpine

Trimethylphosphite

Triphenylphosphine

Triphenylphosphite

Triphenylsilane

Tris(dimethylamino)phosphine

Tris(trimethylsilyl)silane

TTMSS

Vasicine

Vitamin C

Zinc

Zirconocene chloride hydride

Reducing Agents - A Short Introduction

A reducing agent, also known as a reductant, is a substance that has the ability to donate electrons to another substance. In other words, it is a substance that can cause another substance to gain electrons and become reduced. Reducing agents are often involved in redox (reduction-oxidation) reactions, which are chemical reactions in which electrons are transferred from one substance to another. In a redox reaction, the reducing agent is oxidized as it donates electrons to the other substance, which is thereby reduced. Some common examples of reducing agents include metals such as zinc and iron, as well as certain chemicals like sodium borohydride and hydrogen gas. These substances are often used in industrial processes such as the production of metals and the reduction of organic compounds. Reducing agents are also important in biological systems, where they play a key role in metabolism and energy production. For example, the electron transport chain in cells relies on the transfer of electrons from reducing agents such as NADH to oxidizing agents such as oxygen.