What is the major product formed when cyclohexanone is treated with an aqueous solution of Na ₂ CO ₃ ?

Step-by-step solution

Cyclohexanone contains -hydrogens and aqueous Na ₂ CO ₃ acts as a mild base. Under these conditions, cyclohexanone undergoes a self-aldol addition reaction. First, the base abstracts an -hydrogen from a cyclohexanone molecule to form a nucleophilic enolate ion. Next, this enolate ion attacks the electrophilic carbonyl carbon of a second cyclohexanone molecule. Protonation of the resulting alkoxide intermediate yields a -hydroxy ketone. Specifically, the -carbon of one cyclohexanone ring bonds to the carbonyl carbon