Consider the following reaction sequence: Which of the following options correctly identifies either the product obtained from the acidic workup of B (salt) or the final product C?

Step-by-step solution

The starting material, 3-(hydroxymethyl)cyclohexan-1-one, contains both an electrophilic ketone group and an acidic primary alcohol ( -OH ) group. Grignard reagents, such as PhMgBr , act as both strong bases and nucleophiles. However, acid-base reactions are significantly faster than nucleophilic addition reactions. Since only 1 equivalent of PhMgBr is provided, it will exclusively abstract the acidic proton from the -OH group rather than attacking the carbonyl carbon. This acid-base reaction yields benzene as prod