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Multiple Choice
Predict the product of the following multi-step synthesis.
A
B
C
D
Verified step by step guidance
1
Identify the starting material: The starting compound is a β-hydroxy ketone, specifically 3-hydroxybutan-2-one.
First reaction with PBr₃: The hydroxyl group (-OH) in the starting material will be replaced by a bromine atom, forming 2-bromo-3-butanone.
Second reaction with benzene and AlCl₃: This is a Friedel-Crafts acylation reaction. The 2-bromo-3-butanone will react with benzene in the presence of AlCl₃ to form a phenyl ketone, specifically 1-phenyl-3-butanone.
Third reaction with Zn, Hg, and HCl: This is a Clemmensen reduction, which will reduce the carbonyl group (C=O) in the phenyl ketone to a methylene group (-CH₂-), resulting in 1-phenylbutane.
Review the transformations: The overall transformation involves converting a β-hydroxy ketone to an alkyl benzene through a series of substitution, acylation, and reduction reactions.