how do i synthesize (E) 2-methyl-1-phenylpent-1-en-3-one? [closed]








**Closed.** This question is [off-topic](/help/closed-questions). It is not currently accepting answers.
 
 






---








 **Homework questions** must demonstrate some effort to understand the underlying concepts. For help asking a good homework question, see: [How do I ask homework questions on Chemistry Stack Exchange?](https://chemistry.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/141/how-do-i-ask-homework-questions-on-chemistry-stack-exchange)




Closed 6 years ago.








[Improve this question](/posts/66553/edit) 



i need a way to synthesize the (E) 2-methyl-1-phenylpent-1-en-3-one
it's 2 days and still i can't find a solution.




Looks like a crossed aldol condensation between benzaldehyde and pentan-3-one.


In a classical approach, you would (under stirring)


1. Add your base to a dry solvent of your choice
2. Cool down (ice bath or dry ice/isopropanol)
3. Add pentan-3-one dropwise to make sure that it's all immediately converted to the corresponding enolate. You do not want self-condensation of the ketone!
4. Let it come to room temperature (and stir for a while)
5. Cool down again
6. Slowly add benzaldehyde. Freshly distilled benzaldehyde is recommended.
7. Let it come to room temperature again (and stir for a another while)


Check the progress of the reaction by TLC. You should have at least the *aldol addition* product by now. In order to facilitate elimination of water and thus complete the *aldol condensation*, it might be necessary to acidify the mixture and heat it.


There are other more modern (e.g. *Mukayama aldol reaction*, using the silyl enol ether of the ketone) and/or "greener" methods, but they are mostly a variation of the basic approach described above. 


 1