Design a synthesis of acetophenone from benzene or toluene. 1275q Part 1 out of 5 Choose the best option for the nucleophile precursor to acetophenone. 1275p1

A Fridiel craft catalyst will convert benzene to acetophenone.

Permanganate catalyst can be used to convert toluene to acetophenone.

Explanation:

Benzene can be reduced to acetophenone by the addition of anhydrous aluminium chloride, AlCl₃

The mechanism is as follows:

Benzene + Acetyl choloride → acetophenone

To convert toluene to acetophenone, the following steps are necessary:

Oxidation of Toluene to Benzoic acid.

This is done by refluxing toluene with alkaline potassium permanganate (KMnO₄ + Na₂CO₃).

Benzoic acid is converted to Benzoyl chloride by treating with thioyl chloride and heating at about 80 ⁰C. Benzoyl chloride is treated with methyl lithium to form Acetophenone.