Identify the final product [ Y ] in the following reaction. [ X ]+ C ₆ H ₅ COCH ₃ [293 ~K ] OH ⁻ [ Y ]

Step-by-step solution

The reaction of p -nitrotoluene with CrO₂Cl₂ in CS₂ followed by hydrolysis is the Etard reaction, which oxidizes the methyl group to an aldehyde. Thus, [X] is p -nitrobenzaldehyde ( O₂N-C₆H₄-CHO ). The subsequent reaction is a Claisen-Schmidt condensation between p -nitrobenzaldehyde and acetophenone ( C₆H₅COCH₃ ) in the presence of a base ( OH^- ). The base abstracts an -hydrogen from acetophenone to form an enolate ion, which then performs a nucleophilic attack on the carbonyl carbon of p -nitrobenzaldehyde. This