Review Videos: Nucleophilic Additions to Carbonyls

NaBH4 Reduction:

The first 9 minute segment of this Khan Academy video provides a good review of NaBH₄ reductions of aldehydes and ketones.  The last few minutes of the video are less useful and not recommended, due to the somewhat convoluted explanation of oxidation state assignment and an incorrectly drawn cyclohexanone structure.

LiAlH4 Reduction:

This Khan Academy video builds on the previous reduction video and includes a mechanism for the LAH reduction of esters.  This video also discusses selectivity of NaBH4 vs. LAH.

Grignard Reactions:

This Khan Academy video  provides a good overview of Grignard additions to produce secondary and tertiary alcohols. The first part of the video includes a detailed discussion of a postulated mechanism for formation of Grignard reagent via single electron transfers from Mg, which is much more detail than students in CH 250/251 need, so students should beware and try not to get hung up on this portion of the video.

Ketone Nomenclature:

This Khan Academy video gives useful introduction to ketone nomenclature (IUPAC and common naming systems).