Identify the major product of the following reaction sequence, given that water is continuously removed during the second step to drive the equilibrium forward:

Step-by-step solution

In the first step, 1-phenylethanol, which is a secondary alcohol, undergoes oxidation in the presence of Pyridinium chlorochromate (PCC). PCC is a mild oxidizing agent that oxidizes secondary alcohols to ketones. Thus, 1-phenylethanol is oxidized to acetophenone. Ph-CH(OH)-CH ₃ PCC Ph-CO-CH ₃ In the second step, acetophenone reacts with ethanol ( CH ₃ CH ₂ OH ) in the presence of an acid catalyst ( H ^+ ). Ketones react with alcohols under acidic conditions to form ketals. The reaction proceeds via a hemiketal inte