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Draw me a reaction mechanism of the four possible aldol condensation products possible when acetone and propanal are mixed in the presence of NaOH. Assume condensation only occurs without dehydration.
Accepted Answer
The aldol condensation of acetone and propanal can yield four different products, depending on which carbonyl compound acts as the nucleophile and which acts as the electrophile. Here are the possible products:
1. Acetone as nucleophile, propanal as electrophile:
Product: 4-Hydroxy-4-methyl-2-hexanone
2. Propanal as nucleophile, acetone as electrophile:
Product: 3-Hydroxy-2-methylpentanal
3. Acetone as nucleophile, acetone as electrophile:
Product: 4-Hydroxy-4-methyl-2-pentanone
4. Propanal as nucleophile, propanal as electrophile:
Product: 3-Hydroxyhexanal
Note that these are the products without dehydration. The actual product mixture will depend on the reaction conditions and the relative reactivity of the carbonyl compounds.
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