Given below are two statements : In the light of the above statements, choose the most appropriate answer from the options given below :
- Both Statement I and Statement II are incorrect
- Statement I is correct but Statement II is incorrect
- Both Statement I and Statement II are correct
- Statement I is incorrect but Statement II is correct
Answer
(2) Statement I is correct but Statement II is incorrect
Solution
Statement I: base removes the acidic -H ⇒ resonance-stabilised enolate ⇒ it adds to C=O of the second molecule ⇒ true.
Statement II: ethanal has -H (gives enolate); benzaldehyde has no -H but its C=O accepts the enolate ⇒ cross aldol (Claisen–Schmidt) product forms:
[figure]
On heating it loses H2O ⇒ C6H5CH=CHCHO (cinnamaldehyde) ⇒ Statement II is false.
Answer: (2)