Question

Benzaldehyde $+NaOH\to$

• A. Benzyl alcohol
• B. Benzoic alcohol
• C. Hydrobenzamide
• D. Cinnamic acid

Answer 1

Answer: (A)

Benaldehyde on heating with strong solution of $NaOH$, partly converted into an add salt and partly into alcohol.
Benzaldehyde lacks alpha $H$ atom.
Hence, when it is heated with strong $NaOH$ solution, it undergoes cannizzaro reaction in which one molecule of benzaldehyde is oxidized to benzoic acid and other molecule is reduced to benzyl alcohol. Benzoic acid forms sodium salt with $NaOH.$
$C_6{H}_{5}CHO+NaOH\to C_6{H}_{5}COONa+C_6{H}_{5}C{H}_{2}OH$