An organic compound 'A' undergoes nucleophilic addition with HCN to form an intermediate. This intermediate, upon heating with concentrated H ₂ SO ₄ , yields cyclopent-1-ene-1-carboxylic acid as the major product. Identify the starting compound 'A'.

Step-by-step solution

The final product is cyclopent-1-ene-1-carboxylic acid. Working backwards, heating an intermediate with concentrated H ₂ SO ₄ causes both the hydrolysis of a nitrile group to a carboxylic acid and the dehydration of an alcohol to form an alkene. Adding water across the double bond (placing the - OH group on the same carbon as the - COOH group to form a cyanohydrin precursor) and converting the - COOH group back to a - CN group gives the intermediate cyclopentanone cyanohydrin. This cyanohydrin is formed by the nucl