Give the structure of the expected organic product in the reaction of 3−phenylpropanal with sodium hydroxide in ethanol at 70°c. if your structure contains an aldehyde do not use the condensed formula (−cho), draw it out.

The expected product formed is 2-benzyl-5-phenylpent-2-enal .

Kindly refer the attachment for structure.

Explanation:

3-phenylpropanal on reaction with sodium hydroxide undergoes an self- aldol condensation reaction and leads to formation of  2-benzyl-5-phenylpent-2-enal as final product.

In the first step of the reaction the highly basic hydroxide anions abstract a acidic hydrogen available at the carbon next to carbonyl carbon.These hydrogens are acidic because of the electron withdrawing effect of carbonyl group.

The proton abstraction leads to the  generation of  a carbanion and it further delocalizes forming an enolate anion.

The carbanion  can behave as a nucleophile  and can attack at the electrophilic carbon centers.

The carbonyl carbon is electrophilic in nature due to the electron withdrawl from oxygen which generates a partial positive charge on the carbonyl carbon.

 The carbanion  further reacts with another molecule of 3-phenylpropanal at its electrophilic carbonyl center  and forms 2-benzyl-3-hydroxy-5-phenylpentanal. This reaction is known as self- aldol condensation reaction

2-benzyl-3-hydroxy-5-phenylpentanal  has a OH group and this OH group is protonated through  the available acidic protons from the solvent .

As OH is protonated it easily leaves leading to the formation of C=C double bond.

This reaction is one of the examples of  Carbon-Carbon bond forming reaction.

Kindly refer attachments for reaction, structure and mechanism.

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