When 2 moles of acetone react with 1 mole of benzaldehyde, they can undergo a reaction known as the aldol condensation. In this reaction, acetone (a ketone) acts as a nucleophile, while benzaldehyde (an aldehyde) acts as an electrophile.
Steps of the Reaction:
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Formation of Enolate Ion: One of the acetone molecules can undergo deprotonation at the alpha carbon, forming an enolate ion.
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Nucleophilic Addition: The enolate ion then attacks the carbonyl carbon of benzaldehyde, leading to the formation of a β-hydroxy ketone intermediate.
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Dehydration: This intermediate can undergo dehydration (loss of water) to form an α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compound.
Product:
The main product of the reaction will be:
- 4-Phenyl-3-buten-2-one (an unsaturated ketone), formed after dehydration.
Summary Reaction:
The overall reaction can be summarized as follows:
\[ 2 \text{ CH}_3\text{COCH}_3 + \text{C}_6\text{H}_5\text{CHO} \rightarrow \text{C} \text{H}_3\text{C}(\text{CH}_2)\text{C(=C)(\text{Ph})}= \text{O} + \text {H}_2\text{O} \]
Notes:
- The reaction typically requires a base for the deprotonation step to generate the enolate.
- Depending on the conditions, this reaction can yield various products, including multiple aldehyde or ketone analogs.
- The reaction conditions (such as temperature, solvent, and concentration) can affect the specific outcomes.
Make sure to account for stoichiometry if you're planning a synthesis, and confirm with other conditions that might influence the product yield and distribution.