Explain why this is the proposed mechanism for oxidation of benzoin to benzil using nano-MgO. **Scheme 2: Proposed Mechanism for Oxidation of Benzoin to Benzil Using Nano-MgO**This reaction occurs heterogeneously at the MgO nanocrystallines. The nanocatalyst MgO, with its high surface area and plate-like shape, enhances the catalyst's performance compared to others. The efficiency of nanoparticle oxides is due to their high surface area and the high concentration of low-coordinated sites and structural defects on their surface.**Mechanism Overview:**As depicted in Scheme 2, a reaction mechanism for oxidizing benzoin has been proposed based on mechanisms from previous research. The MgO materials exhibit satisfactory adsorptive properties due to their higher specific surface area. Their strong basicity helps in the easy adsorption of an α-proton from benzoin by a basic site of the catalyst.In this proposed mechanism, benzoin adsorbs reversibly onto the catalyst's active site, then undergoes dehydrogenation from the α-C-atom, leading to a stabilized enediolate anion. This anion reacts further, likely with molecular oxygen, to produce benzil.While the exact pathway of this MgO-catalyzed aerobic oxidation is unclear, it is hypothesized that the reaction proceeds through an anionic intermediate.**Catalyst Reusability:**After each reaction cycle, the catalyst was reused effectively without losing activity. The catalyst remained effective for five cycles.**Diagram Explanation:**- The scheme shows benzoin reacting via adsorption on MgO, forming an enediolate intermediate.- The process involves molecular oxygen, leading to the formation of benzil.- Arrows indicate the transformation steps and movement of species in the mechanism. This detailed mechanism highlights the role of nano-MgO in enhancing the oxidation process, demonstrating both effectiveness and reusability in catalysis.

Nanocrystalline Magnesium oxide is very efficient catalyst for the selective oxidation of benzoins to benzil. It occurs in the presence of air present in the environment with the use of acetonitrile as solvent.The reason of this proposed mechanism is: It is green synthesis as it is not harmful to the environment. It requires only milder conditions to proceed the reaction. It is not very time consuming It provides higher yields of the benzil with selectivity.