Identify the products of following reaction: Methanal + Benzene carbaldehyde $\underset{\text { i. conc. }…
Identify the products of following reaction:
Methanal + Benzene carbaldehyde $\underset{\text { i. conc. } \mathrm{NaOH}^{\mathrm{i}}}{\stackrel{\text { i. } \mathrm{H}_3 \mathrm{O}^{+}}{\longrightarrow}}$
Methanoic acid and phenyl methanol
Methanol and benzoic acid
Methanol and phenol
Methanoic acid and phenol
Solution
When a mixture of methanal and benzene carbaldehyde (aldehyde with no $\alpha$-hydrogen) is treated with a strong base, methanal is oxidized to methanoic acid while benzene carbaldehyde is reduced to phenyl methanol.
