Which of the following compounds is the most reactive towards electrophilic substitution?
Practice Questions
1 question
Q1
Which of the following compounds is the most reactive towards electrophilic substitution?
Benzene
Toluene
Chlorobenzene
Nitrobenzene
Toluene is the most reactive due to the electron-donating effect of the methyl group, which activates the ring towards electrophilic substitution.
Questions & Step-by-step Solutions
1 item
Q
Q: Which of the following compounds is the most reactive towards electrophilic substitution?
Solution: Toluene is the most reactive due to the electron-donating effect of the methyl group, which activates the ring towards electrophilic substitution.
Steps: 6
Step 1: Understand what electrophilic substitution means. It is a reaction where an electrophile replaces a hydrogen atom in an aromatic compound.
Step 2: Identify the compounds you are comparing. In this case, we are looking at toluene and other aromatic compounds.
Step 3: Know that some groups attached to the aromatic ring can either donate or withdraw electrons. Electron-donating groups make the ring more reactive.
Step 4: Recognize that the methyl group in toluene is an electron-donating group. It pushes electrons into the aromatic ring.
Step 5: Compare toluene with other compounds. If they have electron-withdrawing groups, they will be less reactive than toluene.
Step 6: Conclude that toluene is the most reactive towards electrophilic substitution because the methyl group activates the ring.
