In a Cannizaro reaction the intermediate that will be the best hydride donor is

Options

A.
B.
C.
D.

Answer

D

Explanation

In general, aldehydes containing no `alpha-H` atom undergo Cannizzaro's reaction . It follows the familiar pattern of carbonyl compounds . i.e., nucleophilic addition and involves two successive additions. In the first step , a hydroxide ion is added to give intermediate compound (a). The presence of negative charge on compound (a) aids in loss of hydrid ion.