Which of the following compounds undergoes electrophilic substitution more readi
Practice Questions
Q1
Which of the following compounds undergoes electrophilic substitution more readily than benzene?
Toluene
Cyclohexane
Phenol
Naphthalene
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
Which of the following compounds undergoes electrophilic substitution more readily than benzene?
Step 1: Understand what electrophilic substitution means. It is a reaction where an electrophile replaces a hydrogen atom in a compound.
Step 2: Know that benzene is a stable compound that undergoes electrophilic substitution, but some compounds can do it more easily.
Step 3: Identify phenol, which is benzene with a hydroxyl group (-OH) attached.
Step 4: Recognize that the hydroxyl group is electron-donating, meaning it helps to increase the electron density on the benzene ring.
Step 5: Understand that this increased electron density makes it easier for electrophiles to attack the benzene ring in phenol compared to benzene itself.
Step 6: Conclude that phenol undergoes electrophilic substitution more readily than benzene because the hydroxyl group stabilizes the intermediate formed during the reaction.