Identify the major product formed in the following reaction sequence: 1. MnO ₂ 2. CH ₃ MgBr 3. H ^+ / H ₂ O

Step-by-step solution

The starting material is cyclohex-2-en-1-ol, which is an allylic alcohol. Reaction with MnO ₂ , a mild and selective oxidizing agent, oxidizes the allylic alcohol to its corresponding , -unsaturated ketone, yielding cyclohex-2-en-1-one. Next, the intermediate cyclohex-2-en-1-one reacts with the Grignard reagent, CH ₃ MgBr . Grignard reagents act as hard nucleophiles and preferentially undergo 1,2-addition (direct nucleophilic attack at the carbonyl carbon) when reacting with , -unsaturated ketones, rather than 1,4-