Benzene and Its Derivatives - What Is the Mechanism of Electrophilic Aromatic Substitution?

16 important questions on Benzene and Its Derivatives - What Is the Mechanism of Electrophilic Aromatic Substitution?

In the chlorination of benzene by electrophilic aromatic substitution, how is the electrophile formed?

By a Lewis acid-base reaction between Chlorine and Ferric chloride to form a chloronium ion.

In the chlorination of benzene by electrophilic aromatic substitution, how does the chloronium ion react with benzene?

The chloronium ion is an electrophile and the benzene serves as a nucleophile. The cation intermediate is resonance stabilized.

In the chlorination of benzene by electrophilic aromatic substitution, what is the last step in the reaction mechanism?

The removal of a proton from the cation intermediate to regenerate the Lewis acid catalyst.
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For the sulfonation of a benzene by electrophilic aromatic substitution, how is the electrophile (sulfoniumion) formed?

First a proton is transferred from one sulfuric acid molecule to another.
The second step is the loss of water to form a sulfonium ion.

What is a Friedel-Crafts Alkylation?

A Friedel-Crafts alkylation forms a new carbon-carbon bond between benzene and an alkyl group.

What are the steps in the Friedel-Carfts Alkylation mechanism?

The Friedel-Crafts Alkylation is an Electrophilic Aromatic Substitution so the steps only differ in the compounds reacting.
1. Formation of an electrophile
2. Reaction of a nucleophile and an electrophile
3. Removal of a proton

How is the electrophile formed in the Friedel-Crafts Alkylation mechanism?

The electrophile is formed by a Lewis acid-base reaction between a haloalkane (base) and aluminium chloride (acid) to form a ion pair containing a carbocation.

After the formation of the electrophile in a Friedel-Crafts alkylation, how does the reaction continue?

The carbocation (electrophile) will be attacked by the benzene (nucleophile) to form a resonance stabilized cation.

What is the last step in the Friedel-Crafts Alkylation reaction mechanism?

The transfer of a proton to regenerate the aromatic ring and the Lewis-acid.

What are the two major limitations on the Friedel-Crafts Alkylation?

1. It is only practical with stable carbocations
2. It fails on benzene rings having one or more strongly electron drawing groups.

How do you determine whether a substituent on a benzene is electron withdrawing?

When the partial positive charge of the substituent lies on the atom bonded to the benzene ring it is electron withdrawing.

What is an acyl halide?

An acyl halide is a derivative of a carboxylic acid with the -OH group replaced by a halogen.

What is the difference between the Friedel-Crafts Alkylation and the Friedel-Crafts Acylation?

In stead of an alkyl group an acyl group reacts with the benzene ring. So only the formation of the electrophile differs.

How is the electrophile formed in the Friedel-Crafts Acylation?

An acyl chloride (Lewis acid) will react with aluminum chloride (Lewis base) transferring a chloride and forming an ion pair containing an acylium ion.

Since the Friedel-Crafts Alkylation and Acylation are dependent on the generation of a carbocation, what other treatment are there to generate carbocations?

1. By treating an alkene with H2SO4 or H3PO4.
2. By treating alcohol with H2SO4 or H3PO4.

What is the difference between addition to an alkene and electrophilic aromatic substitution?

The difference is in the second step. In addition to an alkene the carbocation is attacked by a nucleophile, while in EAS a proton is removed by a base regenerating the double bond.

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