Which of the following is a common electrophile used in the nitration of benzene?
Practice Questions
1 question
Q1
Which of the following is a common electrophile used in the nitration of benzene?
Nitronium ion (NO2+)
Nitrate ion (NO3-)
Nitric acid (HNO3)
Ammonium ion (NH4+)
The nitronium ion (NO2+) is the active electrophile in the nitration of benzene, generated from nitric acid and sulfuric acid.
Questions & Step-by-step Solutions
1 item
Q
Q: Which of the following is a common electrophile used in the nitration of benzene?
Solution: The nitronium ion (NO2+) is the active electrophile in the nitration of benzene, generated from nitric acid and sulfuric acid.
Steps: 5
Step 1: Understand what an electrophile is. An electrophile is a species that seeks electrons and can react with nucleophiles (electron-rich species).
Step 2: Know that nitration is a chemical reaction that introduces a nitro group (NO2) into a molecule, in this case, benzene.
Step 3: Identify the common electrophile used in the nitration of benzene. The nitronium ion (NO2+) is the electrophile that participates in this reaction.
Step 4: Learn how the nitronium ion is formed. It is generated from a mixture of nitric acid (HNO3) and sulfuric acid (H2SO4).
Step 5: Conclude that the nitronium ion (NO2+) is the active electrophile in the nitration of benzene.
