Analyzing the Setup
The problem presents a two-step reaction sequence starting with acetophenone, a classic methyl ketone
We are asked to identify the final major product, Y. The first step involves treating acetophenone with sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl), followed by a two-part second step using thionyl chloride (SOCl2​) and aniline (Ph−NH2​).
The Haloform Cleavage
The first reagent, NaOCl, is the standard reagent for the haloform reaction
When a methyl ketone is treated with sodium hypochlorite, the methyl group is fully halogenated and then cleaved as a haloform—in this case, chloroform (CHCl3​).
The remaining portion of the molecule becomes a carboxylate salt. Although an acidic workup (H3​O+) is not explicitly written in the reaction scheme, it is implicitly required to proceed to the next step. Thus, the intermediate X is benzoic acid (Ph−COOH).
Activation and Amide Synthesis
In the next phase, benzoic acid is treated with thionyl chloride (SOCl2​)
This is a classic method for converting a stable carboxylic acid into a highly reactive acyl chloride. The hydroxyl group is replaced by a chlorine atom, yielding benzoyl chloride (Ph−COCl).
Finally, aniline (Ph−NH2​) is introduced. Aniline acts as a nucleophile, with the lone pair on its nitrogen atom attacking the electrophilic carbonyl carbon of benzoyl chloride. This nucleophilic acyl substitution kicks out the chloride ion, forming an amide bond.
The resulting final product Y is benzanilide (Ph−CO−NH−Ph). This perfectly matches option (b).