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Multiple Choice
Provide the major product for the following reaction.
A
B
C
D
Verified step by step guidance
1
Identify the functional group in the starting material. The starting material is a ketone, specifically propanone (acetone).
Recognize the reagents used in the reaction. KCN and HCN are used, which indicates a cyanohydrin formation reaction.
Understand the mechanism of cyanohydrin formation. The cyanide ion (CN-) acts as a nucleophile and attacks the electrophilic carbonyl carbon of the ketone.
After the nucleophilic attack, the carbonyl oxygen becomes negatively charged and is protonated by HCN, forming a hydroxyl group.
The major product of this reaction is a cyanohydrin, which contains both a hydroxyl group (OH) and a nitrile group (CN) attached to the same carbon atom.