What is the role of a catalyst in electrophilic aromatic substitution reactions?
Practice Questions
Q1
What is the role of a catalyst in electrophilic aromatic substitution reactions?
To stabilize the product
To generate the electrophile
To increase the temperature
To decrease the reaction time
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
What is the role of a catalyst in electrophilic aromatic substitution reactions?
Step 1: Understand what a catalyst is. A catalyst is a substance that speeds up a chemical reaction without being consumed in the process.
Step 2: Know what electrophilic aromatic substitution (EAS) reactions are. These are reactions where an electrophile replaces a hydrogen atom on an aromatic compound.
Step 3: Identify the role of the catalyst in EAS. The catalyst helps to create the electrophile that will react with the aromatic compound.
Step 4: Recognize examples of catalysts used in EAS, such as AlCl3 (aluminum chloride) or FeBr3 (iron bromide).
Step 5: Conclude that without the catalyst, the electrophile may not form, and the reaction would not proceed efficiently.
