Conversion of Ethanal to 2-Hydroxy -3-butenoic acid

Explanation

To convert Ethanal (acetaldehyde, CH3CHO) to 2-Hydroxy-3-butenoic acid, we can follow these steps:

### Step 1: Aldol Condensation
- **Reaction**: Ethanal (CH3CHO) is treated with formaldehyde (HCHO) in the presence of a base (NaOH).
- **Process**: The aldehyde groups of both ethanal and formaldehyde will undergo an aldol condensation reaction.
- **Result**: This will yield a β-hydroxy aldehyde intermediate, specifically 3-hydroxybutanal (CH3-CHOH-CH2-CHO).

### Step 2: Dehydration
...