Sodium borohydride

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  • Identifiers

    CAS number
    16940-66-2

    Molecular formula
    BH4Na

    SMILES
    [BH4-].[Na+]

    Safety labels

    Flammable
    Flammable

    Corrosive
    Corrosive

    Acute Toxic
    Acute Toxic

    Irritant
    Irritant

    Health Hazard
    Health

  • Odor profile

    Odor impact est.
    Low

  • Properties

    pKa est.
    -1.65 (strong acid)

    Molecular weight
    37.84 g/mol

    Melting point expt.

    • >400 °C (vacuum) (decomposes)

    Flash point

    • -154.43 ˚C est.

    Solubility expt.

    • Soluble in "Cellosolve" ether
    • Soluble in ammonia, amines, pyridine, dimethyl ether of diethylene glycol; insoluble in other ethers, hydrocarbons, alkyl chlorides
    • Solubility (wt/wt) in liquid ammonia, 104% at 25 °C; in ethylenediamine, 22% at 75 °C; in morpholine, 1.4% at 25 °C; in pyridine, 3.1% at 25 °C; in methanol, 16.4% at 20 °C (reacts); in ethanol, 4.0% at 20 °C (reacts slowly); in tetrahydrofuran, 0.1% at 20 °C; in diglyime, 5.5% at 20 °C; in dimethylformamide, 18.0% at 20 °C
    • Solubility (wt/wt) in water: 55% at 25 °C; 88.5% at 60 °C
    • Solubility in water, g/100ml at 25 °C: 55

  • Synonyms

    • NaBH4
    • borohydrure de sodium
    • DTXSID80893977
    • Sodium tetrahydridoborate(1-)
    • Sodium borohydride (Na(BH4))
    • CHEBI:50985
    • RefChem:183807
    • DTXCID801324021
    • 241-004-4
    • 16940-66-2
    • 87L0B9CPPA
    • Borate(1-), tetrahydro-, sodium
    • BORATE(1-), TETRAHYDRO-, SODIUM (1:1)
    • Borol
    • COLORSTRIP 2000
    • EC 241-004-4
    • EINECS 241-004-4
    • Hidkitex DF
    • HYDRIFIN
    • Sodium borohydrate
    • Sodium borohydride
    • sodium borotritide
    • Sodium hydroborate
    • SODIUM TETRAHYDRIDOBORATE
    • SODIUM TETRAHYDROBORATE
    • Sodium tetrahydroborate(1-)
    • UNII-87L0B9CPPA
    • sodiumborohydride
    • sodium;boranuide
    • Sodium borohydride solution
    • natriumborohydrid
    • sodium borohydrid
    • natrium borohydride
    • NaBH
    • sodium boro hydride
    • sodium boro-hydride
    • sodium borohydr-ide
    • sodium borohydride-
    • sodium- borohydride
    • sodium borohydri- de
    • SCHEMBL80
    • 16940-66-2(solution)
    • 16940-66-2(NaOH)
    • O0577
    • Q407895
    • Sodium Borohydride, granular, Trace metals grade 99.9%
    • 16940-66-2

  • Applications

    Sodium borohydride (CAS 16940-66-2) is a mild, selective reducing agent used primarily in organic synthesis to convert aldehydes and ketones to the corresponding alcohols, enabling access to a broad range of intermediates. In industry it is commonly employed in pharmaceutical and fine-chemical manufacturing to prepare API intermediates and carbonyl-containing building blocks under gentle conditions. It also finds application in polymer and plastics processing to modify carbonyl-bearing monomers or additives, and in fragrance, flavor, and cosmetics chemistry to synthesize or tune alcohol-containing fragrance ingredients. In R&D settings it is used for chemoselective reductions where controlled outcomes are required, with handling and regulatory compliance as appropriate.

    gpt-5-nano

  • Solubility @25˚C

    Solvent Solubility (g/L)
    ethanol 432.31
    methanol 491.68
    isopropanol 313.98
    water 1.87
    ethyl acetate 144.02
    n-propanol 330.65
    acetone 272.34
    n-butanol 304.46
    acetonitrile 251.46
    DMF 370.27
    toluene 79.9
    isobutanol 206.07
    1,4-dioxane 274.89
    methyl acetate 159.54
    THF 362.13
    2-butanone 192.37
    n-pentanol 160.83
    sec-butanol 269.28
    n-hexane 120.17
    ethylene glycol 146.82
    NMP 284.69
    cyclohexane 115.55
    DMSO 316.8
    n-butyl acetate 147.45
    n-octanol 112.65
    chloroform 514.59
    n-propyl acetate 87.38
    acetic acid 375.59
    dichloromethane 387.1
    cyclohexanone 217.23
    propylene glycol 182.17
    isopropyl acetate 74.23
    DMAc 180.32
    2-ethoxyethanol 139.33
    isopentanol 171.99
    n-heptane 83.58
    ethyl formate 124.46
    1,2-dichloroethane 230.29
    n-hexanol 247.21
    2-methoxyethanol 305.07
    isobutyl acetate 53.15
    tetrachloromethane 149.85
    n-pentyl acetate 89.74
    transcutol 223.38
    n-heptanol 118.86
    ethylbenzene 40.71
    MIBK 65.22
    2-propoxyethanol 225.19
    tert-butanol 291.39
    MTBE 167.54
    2-butoxyethanol 140.86
    propionic acid 271.5
    o-xylene 41.5
    formic acid 124.57
    diethyl ether 238.13
    m-xylene 43.58
    p-xylene 49.21
    chlorobenzene 111.79
    dimethyl carbonate 59.59
    n-octane 33.48
    formamide 142.39
    cyclopentanone 282.19
    2-pentanone 150.15
    anisole 71.39
    cyclopentyl methyl ether 161.96
    gamma-butyrolactone 296.79
    1-methoxy-2-propanol 201.59
    pyridine 231.51
    3-pentanone 115.23
    furfural 207.26
    n-dodecane 19.9
    diethylene glycol 157.67
    diisopropyl ether 54.39
    tert-amyl alcohol 222.32
    acetylacetone 103.5
    n-hexadecane 21.57
    acetophenone 55.99
    methyl propionate 123.27
    isopentyl acetate 100.37
    trichloroethylene 336.48
    n-nonanol 90.59
    cyclohexanol 188.71
    benzyl alcohol 65.79
    2-ethylhexanol 124.74
    isooctanol 78.95
    dipropyl ether 140.77
    1,2-dichlorobenzene 84.32
    ethyl lactate 45.86
    propylene carbonate 147.34
    n-methylformamide 225.7
    2-pentanol 177.76
    n-pentane 115.04
    1-propoxy-2-propanol 171.81
    1-methoxy-2-propyl acetate 79.37
    2-(2-methoxypropoxy) propanol 69.96
    mesitylene 29.24
    ε-caprolactone 169.41
    p-cymene 35.42
    epichlorohydrin 236.87
    1,1,1-trichloroethane 246.54
    2-aminoethanol 237.74
    morpholine-4-carbaldehyde 211.62
    sulfolane 298.15
    2,2,4-trimethylpentane 31.15
    2-methyltetrahydrofuran 273.9
    n-hexyl acetate 120.49
    isooctane 21.45
    2-(2-butoxyethoxy)ethanol 117.73
    sec-butyl acetate 52.61
    tert-butyl acetate 78.24
    decalin 28.67
    glycerin 168.27
    diglyme 174.11
    acrylic acid 239.85
    isopropyl myristate 45.05
    n-butyric acid 272.73
    acetyl acetate 75.43
    di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate 43.45
    ethyl propionate 77.29
    nitromethane 295.01
    1,2-diethoxyethane 110.12
    benzonitrile 94.97
    trioctyl phosphate 40.61
    1-bromopropane 211.34
    gamma-valerolactone 257.65
    n-decanol 66.11
    triethyl phosphate 35.93
    4-methyl-2-pentanol 70.75
    propionitrile 210.85
    vinylene carbonate 130.38
    1,1,2-trichlorotrifluoroethane 214.24
    DMS 61.96
    cumene 26.71
    2-octanol 84.42
    2-hexanone 102.32
    octyl acetate 66.7
    limonene 65.15
    1,2-dimethoxyethane 184.88
    ethyl orthosilicate 38.12
    tributyl phosphate 41.62
    diacetone alcohol 102.05
    N,N-dimethylaniline 48.99
    acrylonitrile 222.83
    aniline 113.96
    1,3-propanediol 255.13
    bromobenzene 112.6
    dibromomethane 328.24
    1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane 292.04
    2-methyl-cyclohexyl acetate 58.56
    tetrabutyl urea 52.56
    diisobutyl methanol 56.01
    2-phenylethanol 83.98
    styrene 57.24
    dioctyl adipate 52.75
    dimethyl sulfate 73.03
    ethyl butyrate 83.02
    methyl lactate 77.08
    butyl lactate 69.15
    diethyl carbonate 52.07
    propanediol butyl ether 125.28
    triethyl orthoformate 57.82
    p-tert-butyltoluene 39.03
    methyl 4-tert-butylbenzoate 66.06
    morpholine 334.77
    tert-butylamine 216.55
    n-dodecanol 50.98
    dimethoxymethane 167.44
    ethylene carbonate 113.6
    cyrene 60.6
    2-ethoxyethyl acetate 86.98
    2-ethylhexyl acetate 87.18
    1,2,4-trichlorobenzene 96.01
    4-methylpyridine 184.14
    dibutyl ether 101.33
    2,6-dimethyl-4-heptanol 56.01
    DEF 164.63
    dimethyl isosorbide 88.6
    tetrachloroethylene 217.06
    eugenol 70.52
    triacetin 69.01
    span 80 101.5
    1,4-butanediol 94.68
    1,1-dichloroethane 266.91
    2-methyl-1-pentanol 108.48
    methyl formate 133.85
    2-methyl-1-butanol 180.39
    n-decane 33.65
    butyronitrile 218.77
    3,7-dimethyl-1-octanol 76.16
    1-chlorooctane 75.84
    1-chlorotetradecane 30.55
    n-nonane 39.33
    undecane 24.87
    tert-butylcyclohexane 29.94
    cyclooctane 37.71
    cyclopentanol 245.56
    tetrahydropyran 307.63
    tert-amyl methyl ether 123.77
    2,5,8-trioxanonane 111.59
    1-hexene 187.52
    2-isopropoxyethanol 90.81
    2,2,2-trifluoroethanol 98.48
    methyl butyrate 105.35

    Scent© AI

1 4

IFRA standard 51

Recommendation
No restriction
Maximum acceptable concentrations in the finished product (%)
Category 1
Products applied to the lips
 No restriction Category 7A
Rinse-off products applied to the hair with some hand contact
 No restriction
Category 2
Products applied to the axillae
 No restriction Category 7B
Leave-on products applied to the hair with some hand contact
 No restriction
Category 3
Products applied to the face/body using fingertips
 No restriction Category 8
Products with significant anogenital exposure
 No restriction
Category 4
Products related to fine fragrance
 No restriction Category 9
Products with body and hand exposure, primarily rinse off
 No restriction
Category 5A
Body lotion products applied to the body using the hands (palms), primarily leave on
 No restriction Category 10A
Household care products with mostly hand contact
 No restriction
Category 5B
Face moisturizer products applied to the face using the hands (palms), primarily leave on
 No restriction Category 10B
Household care products with mostly hand contact, including aerosol/spray products (with potential leave-on skin contact)
 No restriction
Category 5C
Hand cream products applied to the hands using the hands (palms), primarily leave on
 No restriction Category 11A
Products with intended skin contact but minimal transfer of fragrance to skin from inert substrate without UV exposure
 No restriction
Category 5D
Baby Creams, baby Oils and baby talc
 No restriction Category 11B
Products with intended skin contact but minimal transfer of fragrance to skin from inert substrate with potential UV exposure
 No restriction
Category 6
Products with oral and lip exposure
 No restriction Category 12
Products not intended for direct skin contact, minimal or insignificant transfer to skin
 No restriction