Question

Draw the reaction diagram from starting material to product of your specific reagent.

This is for aldol condensation using NaOH and ethanol along with benzaldehyde and a simple ketone, 3-Pentanone

Answer 1

Here is the reaction diagram for inter aldol condensation

So in case of Aldol Condensation we know that a strong base looks for an acidic Hydrogen . Since we know that the hydrogen close to carbonyl group ( marked in diagram) is the most acidic H , it will be absorbed by the base. Hence the anion formed will attack the carbonyl group of benzene halide resulting in the formation of product.

Also due to absence of an Acidic alpha hydrogen in benzaldehyde it cannot act as a nucleophile to attack the ketone group of 3 -pentanone. Hence only 1 product is possible.

Apart from this there is possibility of the neucleophilic 3-pentanone anion to attack an other molecule of 3-pentanone.It will result in formation of intra aldol condensation product.Here is the mechanism for the same and the final product.