Fundamentals of Organic ChemistryChemistryAlcohols Phenols and Ethers
Identify the major product of the following reaction:
Correct answer
1
Step-by-step solution
The given reactant is 1-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-3-phenylpropane-1,3-dione, which contains a 1,3-diketone moiety and an ortho-phenolic -OH group. In the presence of an acidic medium ( H^+ ), the reaction proceeds via the following steps: 1. Protonation: The carbonyl oxygen adjacent to the phenyl ring ( -CO-Ph ) gets protonated, making its carbonyl carbon highly electrophilic. 2. Intramolecular Cyclization: The nucleophilic oxygen atom of the phenolic -OH group attacks this electrophilic carbon. This intramolecular nucleop