What type of reaction occurs when chlorobenzene is treated with sodium hydroxide
Practice Questions
Q1
What type of reaction occurs when chlorobenzene is treated with sodium hydroxide at high temperature?
Nucleophilic substitution
Electrophilic substitution
Elimination
Addition
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
What type of reaction occurs when chlorobenzene is treated with sodium hydroxide at high temperature?
Correct Answer: Nucleophilic substitution
Step 1: Understand that chlorobenzene is a compound that contains a chlorine atom attached to a benzene ring.
Step 2: Know that sodium hydroxide (NaOH) is a strong base and can act as a nucleophile, which means it can donate a pair of electrons to form a bond.
Step 3: When chlorobenzene is heated with sodium hydroxide, the high temperature helps to break the bond between the chlorine atom and the benzene ring.
Step 4: The nucleophile (OH- from NaOH) attacks the carbon atom that is bonded to the chlorine atom.
Step 5: This attack leads to the substitution of the chlorine atom with a hydroxyl group (OH), resulting in the formation of phenol.
Step 6: The overall reaction is called nucleophilic substitution because the nucleophile (OH-) replaces the leaving group (Cl-).
