Question

The role of sodium hydroxide in the synthesis of a chalcone is to

Answer 1

Explanation:

Chemical formula of chalcone is $C_{15}H_{12}O$ and during the preparation of chalcones, a base like sodium hydroxide acts like a catalyst. This catalyst helps in the abstraction of proton from the methyl group acetophenone in order to obtain a negative charge methylene group.

This methylene group then attacks carbonyl carbon of the benzaldehyde.