Question

Acetaldehyde to Isopropyl Alcohol

Hint:

Aldol condensation forms (beta)-hydroxy aldehydes or ketones, which can be hydrogenated to alcohols.

Answer 1

Acetaldehyde \( (CH_3CHO) \) can be converted to isopropyl alcohol \( (CH_3CH(OH)CH_3) \) through the following steps: 
1. Aldol Condensation: \[ 2CH_3CHO \xrightarrow{\text{Dil. NaOH}} CH_3CH(OH)CH_2CHO \] 
2. Catalytic Hydrogenation: \[ CH_3CH(OH)CH_2CHO + H_2 \xrightarrow{\text{Ni, Heat}} CH_3CH(OH)CH_3 \] Thus, acetaldehyde undergoes aldol condensation followed by hydrogenation to yield isopropyl alcohol.