In aldehydes, the carbonyl group is bonded to a carbon and hydrogen, while in ketones it is bonded to two carbon atoms. The carbonyl group is bonded to oxygen are known as carboxylic acid and their derivatives.

Arrange the following steps of Aldol condensation in the correct order of their occurrence.

A. Abstraction of proton

B. Protonation

C. Formation of Enolate

D. Nucleophilic Addition

E. Elimination

Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

ACDBE

The correct answer is option 1. ACDBE.

Aldol Condensation can be defined as an organic reaction in which an enolate ion reacts with a carbonyl compound to form \(\beta \)-hydroxy ketone or \(\beta \)-hydroxy aldehyde, followed by dehydration to give a conjugated enone. Aldol Condensation plays a vital role in organic synthesis, creating a path to form carbon-carbon bonds.

The general reaction of aldol condensation is

One of the common examples for base-catalyzed aldol condensation is stated below in which the catalyst generally used is hydroxide ion.

Mechanism: