The number of chiral centres present in [B] is ____.
Answer: 4
Solution
The starting ketone is treated with the Grignard reagent CHX3MgBr and then hydrolysed, and the product [B] is examined for stereocentres, a stereocentre being any sp3 carbon carrying four different groups. Going through the carbons of [B], four of them meet this condition, so [B] has four chiral centres.