Which of the following compounds will undergo Cannizzaro reaction

The correct answer is Option (1) → Benzaldehyde

Reason:

Cannizzaro reaction is shown only by those aldehydes that do not have α-hydrogen (i.e., no hydrogen attached to the carbon next to the carbonyl group).

Compound	Formula	Has α-hydrogen?	Undergoes Cannizzaro?
Benzaldehyde	C₆H₅CHO	No	Yes
Acetophenone	C₆H₅COCH₃	Yes (on CH₃)	No (it's a ketone)
Benzophenone	(C₆H₅)₂CO	No	No (it's a ketone)
Propionaldehyde	CH₃CH₂CHO	Yes (on CH₂)	No

Key Points:

• Only aldehydes without α-hydrogen undergo Cannizzaro reaction.
• Ketones never undergo Cannizzaro reaction (even if they lack α-H, e.g., benzophenone).
• Benzaldehyde → undergoes Cannizzaro to give benzyl alcohol + benzoic acid.

Final Answer: Benzaldehyde