Reaction SMILES: [C:1]([C:5]1[CH:6]=[C:7]([CH:178]=[C:179]([C:181]([CH3:184])([CH3:183])[CH3:182])[CH:180]=1)[CH:8]=[CH:9][C:10]1[CH:11]=[C:12]([CH:159]=[C:160]([CH:162]=[CH:163][C:164]2[CH:169]=[C:168]([C:170]([CH3:173])([CH3:172])[CH3:171])[CH:167]=[C:166]([C:174]([CH3:177])([CH3:176])[CH3:175])[CH:165]=2)[CH:161]=1)[CH:13]=[CH:14][C:15]1[CH:16]=[C:17]([CH:116]=[C:117]([CH:119]=[CH:120][C:121]2[CH:126]=[C:125]([CH:127]=[CH:128][C:129]3[CH:134]=[C:133]([C:135]([CH3:138])([CH3:137])[CH3:136])[CH:132]=[C:131]([C:139]([CH3:142])([CH3:141])[CH3:140])[CH:130]=3)[CH:124]=[C:123]([CH:143]=[CH:144][C:145]3[CH:150]=[C:149]([C:151]([CH3:154])([CH3:153])[CH3:152])[CH:148]=[C:147]([C:155]([CH3:158])([CH3:157])[CH3:156])[CH:146]=3)[CH:122]=2)[CH:118]=1)[CH:18]=[CH:19][C:20]1[CH:21]=[C:22]([CH:25]=[C:26]([CH:28]=[CH:29][C:30]2[CH:35]=[C:34]([CH:36]=[CH:37][C:38]3[CH:43]=[C:42]([CH:44]=[CH:45][C:46]4[CH:51]=[C:50]([C:52]([CH3:55])([CH3:54])[CH3:53])[CH:49]=[C:48]([C:56]([CH3:59])([CH3:58])[CH3:57])[CH:47]=4)[CH:41]=[C:40]([CH:60]=[CH:61][C:62]4[CH:67]=[C:66]([C:68]([CH3:71])([CH3:70])[CH3:69])[CH:65]=[C:64]([C:72]([CH3:75])([CH3:74])[CH3:73])[CH:63]=4)[CH:39]=3)[CH:33]=[C:32]([CH:76]=[CH:77][C:78]3[CH:83]=[C:82]([CH:84]=[CH:85][C:86]4[CH:91]=[C:90]([C:92]([CH3:95])([CH3:94])[CH3:93])[CH:89]=[C:88]([C:96]([CH3:99])([CH3:98])[CH3:97])[CH:87]=4)[CH:81]=[C:80]([CH:100]=[CH:101][C:102]4[CH:107]=[C:106]([C:108]([CH3:111])([CH3:110])[CH3:109])[CH:105]=[C:104]([C:112]([CH3:115])([CH3:114])[CH3:113])[CH:103]=4)[CH:79]=3)[CH:31]=2)[CH:27]=1)[CH:23]=[O:24])([CH3:4])([CH3:3])[CH3:2].[BH4-].[Na+]>O1CCCC1>[C:56]([C:48]1[CH:47]=[C:46]([CH:51]=[C:50]([C:52]([CH3:55])([CH3:54])[CH3:53])[CH:49]=1)[CH:45]=[CH:44][C:42]1[CH:43]=[C:38]([CH:39]=[C:40]([CH:60]=[CH:61][C:62]2[CH:67]=[C:66]([C:68]([CH3:71])([CH3:70])[CH3:69])[CH:65]=[C:64]([C:72]([CH3:75])([CH3:74])[CH3:73])[CH:63]=2)[CH:41]=1)[CH:37]=[CH:36][C:34]1[CH:35]=[C:30]([CH:31]=[C:32]([CH:76]=[CH:77][C:78]2[CH:79]=[C:80]([CH:100]=[CH:101][C:102]3[CH:103]=[C:104]([C:112]([CH3:114])([CH3:113])[CH3:115])[CH:105]=[C:106]([C:108]([CH3:111])([CH3:110])[CH3:109])[CH:107]=3)[CH:81]=[C:82]([CH:84]=[CH:85][C:86]3[CH:91]=[C:90]([C:92]([CH3:95])([CH3:94])[CH3:93])[CH:89]=[C:88]([C:96]([CH3:99])([CH3:98])[CH3:97])[CH:87]=3)[CH:83]=2)[CH:33]=1)[CH:29]=[CH:28][C:26]1[CH:25]=[C:22]([CH:21]=[C:20]([CH:19]=[CH:18][C:17]2[CH:16]=[C:15]([CH:14]=[CH:13][C:12]3[CH:11]=[C:10]([CH:9]=[CH:8][C:7]4[CH:178]=[C:179]([C:181]([CH3:183])([CH3:182])[CH3:184])[CH:180]=[C:5]([C:1]([CH3:4])([CH3:3])[CH3:2])[CH:6]=4)[CH:161]=[C:160]([CH:162]=[CH:163][C:164]4[CH:169]=[C:168]([C:170]([CH3:173])([CH3:172])[CH3:171])[CH:167]=[C:166]([C:174]([CH3:177])([CH3:176])[CH3:175])[CH:165]=4)[CH:159]=3)[CH:118]=[C:117]([CH:119]=[CH:120][C:121]3[CH:126]=[C:125]([CH:127]=[CH:128][C:129]4[CH:134]=[C:133]([C:135]([CH3:136])([CH3:137])[CH3:138])[CH:132]=[C:131]([C:139]([CH3:140])([CH3:141])[CH3:142])[CH:130]=4)[CH:124]=[C:123]([CH:143]=[CH:144][C:145]4[CH:146]=[C:147]([C:155]([CH3:156])([CH3:157])[CH3:158])[CH:148]=[C:149]([C:151]([CH3:152])([CH3:153])[CH3:154])[CH:150]=4)[CH:122]=3)[CH:116]=2)[CH:27]=1)[CH2:23][OH:24])([CH3:57])([CH3:58])[CH3:59]
Reactant: CC(C)(C)c1cc(C=Cc2cc(C=Cc3cc(C=Cc4cc(C=O)cc(C=Cc5cc(C=Cc6cc(C=Cc7cc(C(C)(C)C)cc(C(C)(C)C)c7)cc(C=Cc7cc(C(C)(C)C)cc(C(C)(C)C)c7)c6)cc(C=Cc6cc(C=Cc7cc(C(C)(C)C)cc(C(C)(C)C)c7)cc(C=Cc7cc(C(C)(C)C)cc(C(C)(C)C)c7)c6)c5)c4)cc(C=Cc4cc(C=Cc5cc(C(C)(C)C)cc(C(C)(C)C)c5)cc(C=Cc5cc(C(C)(C)C)cc(C(C)(C)C)c5)c4)c3)cc(C=Cc3cc(C(C)(C)C)cc(C(C)(C)C)c3)c2)cc(C(C)(C)C)c1
Agent: [BH4-]
Agent: [Na+]
Solvent: C1CCOC1
Product: CC(C)(C)c1cc(C=Cc2cc(C=Cc3cc(C=Cc4cc(C=Cc5cc(C(C)(C)C)cc(C(C)(C)C)c5)cc(C=Cc5cc(C(C)(C)C)cc(C(C)(C)C)c5)c4)cc(C=Cc4cc(C=Cc5cc(C=Cc6cc(C=Cc7cc(C(C)(C)C)cc(C(C)(C)C)c7)cc(C=Cc7cc(C(C)(C)C)cc(C(C)(C)C)c7)c6)cc(C=Cc6cc(C=Cc7cc(C(C)(C)C)cc(C(C)(C)C)c7)cc(C=Cc7cc(C(C)(C)C)cc(C(C)(C)C)c7)c6)c5)cc(CO)c4)c3)cc(C=Cc3cc(C(C)(C)C)cc(C(C)(C)C)c3)c2)cc(C(C)(C)C)c1
Yield: 79.5 %

Procedure:
A solution of 3,5-bis{3′,5′-bis[3″,5″-bis(3′″,5′″-di-tert-butylstyryl)styryl]styryl}benzaldehyde (3.853 g, 1.585 mmol) in tetrahydrofuran (50 cm3) was treated with sodium borohydride (121 mg, 3.20 mmol) and heated at reflux for 135 min. The solvent was removed. Dichloromethane (50 cm3) was added and the solution washed with water (50 cm3) and brine (50 cm3), dried over sodium sulphate, filtered and the solvent removed to leave a yellow foam. The product was purified by column chromatography over silica, eluting with dichloromethane-light petroleum (2:3). Recrystallisation from a dichloromethane-methanol mixture gave 3,5-bis{3′,5′-bis[3″,5″-bis(3′″,5′″-di-tert-butylstyryl)styryl]styryl}benzyl alcohol (3.07 g, 80%) as a yellow powder, mp 248° C. (Found: C, 89.89; H, 8.89. C183H220O requires C, 90.24; H, 9.10%); νmax(KBr)/cm−1 3568 (OH), 1594 (C═C) and 959 (C═C—H trans); λmax(CH2Cl2)/nm (log ε) 323 (5.59) and 334sh (5.52); δH(400 MHz, CDCl3) 1.39 (144 H, s, t-Bu), 1.80 (1 H, t, OH), 4.85 (2 H, d, CH2OH), 7.19 and 7.31 (16 H, ABq, J 16, 7′″,8′″-H), 7.32 (4 H, s, 7′,8′-H), 7.34 (8 H, s, 7″,8″-H), 7.38 (8 H, dd, J 1.5, 4′″-H), 7.44 (16 H, d, J 1.5, 2′″,6′″-H), 7.57 (2 H, br s, 4′-H), 7.67 (12 H, br s, 2″,4″,6″-H), 7.67 (4 H, br s, 2′,6′-H), 7.70 (1 H, br s, 4-H) and 7.74 (2 H, br s, 2,6-H); m/z (MALDI) 2434.94 (M+, 100%).