Which substituent on a benzene ring is a strong deactivator and meta-director in
Practice Questions
Q1
Which substituent on a benzene ring is a strong deactivator and meta-director in electrophilic substitution?
Hydroxyl group (-OH)
Methyl group (-CH3)
Nitro group (-NO2)
Ethyl group (-C2H5)
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
Which substituent on a benzene ring is a strong deactivator and meta-director in electrophilic substitution?
Step 1: Understand what a benzene ring is. It is a circular arrangement of six carbon atoms with alternating double bonds.
Step 2: Learn about substituents. These are groups that can replace a hydrogen atom on the benzene ring.
Step 3: Identify what a strong deactivator is. A strong deactivator makes the benzene ring less reactive towards electrophiles (positively charged species).
Step 4: Know what a meta-director is. A meta-director is a substituent that directs incoming electrophiles to the meta position (the position two carbons away from the substituent) when a reaction occurs.
Step 5: Recognize the nitro group (-NO2). It is a common substituent that is known to be a strong deactivator.
Step 6: Conclude that the nitro group (-NO2) is a strong deactivator and directs electrophiles to the meta position.
