How many products will form by reductive ozonolysis of ortho`-`xylene `:`

Options

A. a. 2
B. b. 3
C. c. 4
D. d. 5

Explanation

To determine how many products will form by reductive ozonolysis of ortho-xylene, we can follow these steps:

### Step 1: Understand the Structure of Ortho-Xylene
Ortho-xylene is a dimethyl-substituted benzene, specifically with two methyl groups attached to adjacent carbon atoms on the benzene ring. The structure can be represented as follows:

```
CH3
|
C6H4
|
CH3
```

### Step 2: Identify the Reaction Conditions
Reductive ozonolysis involves the reaction of the compound with ozone (O3) followed by reduction, typically using zinc (Zn) and water (H2O). This process cleaves the double bonds in the compound and forms carbonyl compounds.

### Step 3: Perform the Ozonolysis Reaction
In the case of ortho-xylene, the ozonolysis will cleave the carbon-carbon bonds adjacent to the methyl groups. This will lead to the formation of several carbonyl compounds.

### Step 4: Determine the Products
1. **First Product**: The cleavage of the bond between the two carbons adjacent to the methyl groups will yield a compound with two carbonyls. This can be represented as:
- CH3-C(=O)-C(=O)-CH3 (This is the first product)

2. **Second Product**: The cleavage can also lead to a product where one of the carbonyls is attached to a hydrogen, resulting in:
- CH3-C(=O)-CH2-CHO (This is the second product)

3. **Third Product**: Another possible product can be formed by further cleavage, resulting in:
- CHO-CH2-CHO (This is the third product)

### Step 5: Count the Products
From the analysis, we have identified three distinct products formed from the reductive ozonolysis of ortho-xylene.

### Final Answer
The total number of products formed by reductive ozonolysis of ortho-xylene is **3**.

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