Chemistry · Aldehyde and Ketones: Nature of carbonyl group, nucleophilic addition to >C=O group, relative reactivities of aldehydes and ketones

'X'. is

\( \mathbf{2} \boldsymbol{C} \boldsymbol{H}_{3} \boldsymbol{C O C H}_{3} \stackrel{d r y H C l}{\rightarrow} \) 'X'. \( \mathbf{X} \) is

  • A. Mesityl oxide
  • B. Diacetone alcohol
  • C. Acetic acid
  • D. Mesitylene

Step-by-step solution

Dry HCl catalyzes the aldol condensation of acetone. Two molecules of acetone first form diacetone alcohol (4-hydroxy-4-methyl-2-pentanone), which then dehydrates under the acidic conditions to give mesityl oxide (4-methyl-3-penten-2-one). Mesitylene requires three acetone molecules, and acetic acid is not formed. Therefore, X is mesityl oxide.
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