Abstract: A convenient and industrializable new method of synthesizing 1,8-octanediol was studied. 1,8-Octanedioic acid dimethyl ester was obtained at high yield, using hexamethylene dicyanide and methanol as raw material catalyzed by concentrated sulfuric acid, followed by the reduction of 1,8-octanedioic acid dimethyl ester via sodium borohydride in a NaBH4-methanol-tetrahydrofuran solvent system to obtain 1,8-octanediol. Effects of the amount of NaBH4 and reaction time on the overall yield of 1,8-octanediol were investigated. The optimum reaction conditions were as follows: molar ratio of NaBH4 to 1,8-octanedioic acid dimethyl ester 5:5.1, reaction time 8.5h, the yield of 1,8-octanediol was 97.2%.