Question

OH cat. KOH H2O (solvent)

show complete mechanism including if steps are reversible or not

Answer 1

OH кон HH3 H2O FO O / KOH H20 + HT CH Aldol Condensation isation Always El-cß likoh mechanism 10H OH faeca.] 1 [- ] product

The 1st 2-steps are retro-Aldol reaction, where an aldol (beta-hydroxyketo compound) breaks down into two seperate carbonyl moeities (here still attached to a cyclohexane ring though) and then the two carbonyl moeities again recombine to give a more stable product (6-6 fused instead of 6-4 fused rings). This is the driving force for the reaction. Here, in the product, due to less strain, alpha,beta-unsaturated carbonyl compound forms, whereas in the reactant this was impossible to attain due to the already strained cyclobutane ring would become more strained in presence of a double bond in the ring. This also drives the reaction forward to form the product.