Carboxylic acids and esters are reduced to alcohols with lithium aluminum hydride. Milder reducers such as sodium borohydride are unable to reduce these compounds.
![synthesis-alcohols-reduction-acids sintesis-alcoholes-reduccion-acidos](/images/stories/organica-i/alcoholes/sintesis-reduccion-acidos-esteres/sintesis-alcoholes-reduccion-acidos.png)
Ethanoic acid [1] is transformed by reduction with lithium aluminum hydride in ethanol [2].
![synthesis-alcohols-reduction-esters sintesis-alcoholes-reduccion-esteres](/images/stories/organica-i/alcoholes/sintesis-reduccion-acidos-esteres/sintesis-alcoholes-reduccion-esteres.png)
Methyl benzoate [1] is converted to benzyl alcohol [2] by reduction with lithium aluminum hydride.