Aldol condensation needs an α-hydrogen to attack another carbonyl, while Cannizzaro is for those without it, like formaldehyde, and uses a base to make an alcohol and an acid. You check for that acidic alpha proton. I know this in my bones because when I'm at the line, my hands count packs by the dozen, a steady repetition like the steps of a reliable reaction. But at home, my mother's old stove, fussy with the expensive gas, reminds me of a stubborn reagent—sometimes you lack the simple thing needed for the usual process, and you have to make do with a different, costlier path altogether.
#archery#recurve
Jump in to reply — no account needed.