Acetaldehyde to butan-1,3 diol

Explanation

To convert acetaldehyde (CH3CHO) to butan-1,3-diol, we can follow a series of chemical reactions. Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of the process:

### Step 1: Aldol Condensation
1. **Starting Material**: Acetaldehyde (CH3CHO).
2. **Reagent**: Sodium hydroxide (NaOH).
3. **Reaction**: Under basic conditions, two molecules of acetaldehyde undergo aldol condensation.
- The first molecule of acetaldehyde acts as a nucleophile and attacks the carbonyl carbon of the second molecule, leading to the formation of a β-hydroxy aldehyde (3-hydroxybutanal).
- The reaction can be represented as:
...