Phenylmethanol can be prepared by reducing the benzaldehyde with `:`

Options

A. `CH_(3)Br`
B. Zn-Hg and HCl
C. Na and ethanol
D. `KMnO_(4)` and KOH

Answer

To prepare phenylmethanol (also known as benzyl alcohol) from benzaldehyde, we can follow these steps:

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Identify the Reactants**:
- The starting compound is benzaldehyde (C₆H₅CHO).
- We need a reducing agent to convert benzaldehyde to phenylmethanol.

2. **Choose a Reducing Agent**:
- Common reducing agents suitable for reducing aldehydes include lithium aluminum hydride (LiAlH₄), sodium borohydride (NaBH₄), or catalytic hydrogenation (using hydrogen gas and a catalyst such as palladium or platinum).

3. **Reaction Mechanism**:
- When benzaldehyde is treated with a reducing agent like sodium borohydride (NaBH₄), the carbonyl group (C=O) in benzaldehyde is reduced to a hydroxyl group (–OH), forming phenylmethanol.
- The reaction can be represented as:
\[ C_6H_5CHO + NaBH_4 \rightarrow C_6H_5CH_2OH + NaBO_2 \]
- Here, the aldehyde group (–CHO) is converted to an alcohol group (–CH₂OH).

4. **Product Formation**:
- The product formed is phenylmethanol (C₆H₅CH₂OH), which is the desired compound.

### Final Answer:
Phenylmethanol can be prepared by reducing benzaldehyde with sodium borohydride (NaBH₄).

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