A chemical engineer needs to purify an aldehyde from a non-reactive organic impurity. Which reagent allows for the formation of a crystalline addition product that can be easily separated?
Q1. A chemical engineer needs to purify an aldehyde from a non-reactive organic impurity. Which reagent allows for the formation of a crystalline addition product that can be easily separated?
Answer: Saturated sodium bisulphite
Explanation: Sodium bisulphite forms crystalline adducts with aldehydes, which can be filtered and hydrolyzed; NaBH4 reduces them to alcohols, making recovery difficult.