Identify the major product formed in the following reaction:

Step-by-step solution

The given reactant is butanal, which is an aldehyde with a four-carbon chain ( CH ₃ -CH ₂ -CH ₂ -CHO ). The reagent NaBH ₄ (sodium borohydride) is a mild reducing agent that specifically reduces aldehydes and ketones to their corresponding alcohols. It does not reduce carboxylic acids, esters, or amides. When butanal is treated with NaBH ₄ followed by acidic hydrolysis ( H ^+, H ₂ O ), the carbonyl group ( C=O ) of the aldehyde is reduced to a primary alcohol ( -CH ₂ OH ). The reaction is as follows: CH ₃ -CH ₂ -CH