How many aldol product will be obtained in the following reaction
`CH_(3)CHO+PhCHOoverset(NaOH)(to)`

Options

A. 2
B. 3
C. 4
D. 1

Answer

To determine how many aldol products will be obtained from the reaction of acetaldehyde (CH₃CHO) and benzaldehyde (PhCHO) in the presence of NaOH, we can follow these steps:

### Step 1: Identify the Reactants
The reactants are:
- Acetaldehyde (CH₃CHO)
- Benzaldehyde (PhCHO)

### Step 2: Check for Alpha Hydrogens
- **Acetaldehyde (CH₃CHO)**:
- The structure is CH₃-CH=O.
- The carbon adjacent to the carbonyl (C=O) has three hydrogen atoms (CH₃), which means it has alpha hydrogens available for the aldol reaction.

- **Benzaldehyde (PhCHO)**:
- The structure is C₆H₅-CHO.
- The carbon adjacent to the carbonyl (C=O) does not have any hydrogen atoms because it is bonded to a phenyl group (C₆H₅). Therefore, benzaldehyde has no alpha hydrogens.

### Step 3: Determine the Aldol Reaction
In an aldol condensation reaction, at least one of the reactants must have alpha hydrogens to undergo the reaction. Since:
- Acetaldehyde has alpha hydrogens and can undergo aldol condensation.
- Benzaldehyde does not have alpha hydrogens and cannot undergo aldol condensation.

### Step 4: Identify the Possible Products
When acetaldehyde reacts with itself (since it is the only reactant with alpha hydrogens), it can form an aldol product. The aldol product formed from the self-condensation of acetaldehyde is:
- 3-Hydroxybutanal (an aldol product).

### Step 5: Conclusion
Since benzaldehyde cannot participate in the aldol reaction due to the absence of alpha hydrogens, the only aldol product formed will be from the self-condensation of acetaldehyde. Therefore, only **one aldol product** will be obtained from the reaction.

### Final Answer
The number of aldol products obtained from the reaction of acetaldehyde and benzaldehyde is **1**.