Sodium butyrate can be used as a reactant to prepare butanal by reduction using 9-borabicyclo[3.3.1]nonane (9-BBN) in THF. It is also converted into butanal borane and pyridinium chlorochromate by the reductive oxidation reaction. Sodium butyrate is reacted with different alcohols to yield esters by Mitsunobu reaction using ionic liquid-based chloroiminium reagent.