Ethanal to 2-hydroxybut-3-enoicacid

Explanation

To convert ethanal (acetaldehyde) to 2-hydroxybut-3-enoic acid, we will follow a series of steps involving aldol condensation, dehydration, and hydrolysis. Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of the process:

### Step 1: Aldol Condensation
1. **Starting Material**: Ethanal (CH₃CHO).
2. **Condition**: Use a base (like NaOH) to initiate the reaction.
3. **Mechanism**:
- The base abstracts an alpha hydrogen from ethanal, forming an enolate ion (CH₂=CHO⁻).
- This enolate ion then attacks the carbonyl carbon of another ethanal molecule, leading to the formation of a β-hydroxyaldehyde (3-hydroxybutanal).
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