Question & Answer » Chemistry Questions » How to Convert Benzoic Acid to Benzaldehyde

How to Convert Benzoic Acid to Benzaldehyde

Answer: The steps for conversion from benzoic acid to benzaldehyde are:

  1. The very first step of the reaction is converting benzoic acid to benzoyl chloride with the help of phosphorus pentachloride. 
  2. Then, a chlorination reaction occurs when this reagent changes an acidic group to a chloride group. 
  3. Now, because the -Cl group is a better group to get removed, it may easily undergo a reduction process in the presence of Lindlar’s catalyst, which is composed of H2/Pd, BaSO4.
  4. Therefore, when the benzoyl chloride is reduced with Lindlar’s catalyst, the required product i.e., benzaldehyde is obtained. This step is known as Rosenmund’s reduction . The reaction in structural form is as shown below: