Propose a mechanism for the following reaction:

Mechanism of organic reaction studies about the breaking and formation ofold and new bonds respectively, the number of transition states, and intermediate formed when a product is formed from a reactant.

The reaction mechanism of any organic reaction is completed with the help of the “arrow notation”.

The reaction of acompound withtwo carbonyl group with the ethoxide base removes the proton from the alpha-carbon to form the carbanion, which undergoes ${\text{S}}_{\text{N}}\text{2}$reaction with 2-ethyloxiraneoxirane (cyclic ether) carbon, forming the enolate.

The enolate formed attacks the second carbonyl carbon present within the compound. Finally,the leaving group ethoxide leaves which results in the formation of the desired product,3-acetyl-5-ethyldihydrofuran-2(3H)-one.

The mechanism for the formation of 3-acetyl-5-ethyldihydrofuran-2(3H)-oneis shown below.

Formation of 3-acetyl-5-ethyldihydrofuran-2(3H)-one