Question

Question 13.23 Out of benzene, m–dinitrobenzene and toluene which will undergo nitration most easily and why?

Class XI Hydrocarbons Page 397

Answer 1

Nitration is an electrophilic substitution reaction. and we also know, reactivity of benzene nucleus towards the E+ decreases in the presence of electron withdrawing group while increases in the presence of electron releasing group.


Here , -CH3 group is electron releasing group while -NO2 group is electron withdrawing group. Therefore, maximum electron density will be Toluene , followed by in benzene and least will be m-dinitrobenzene.

Therefore , the ease of the nitration decreases in the order :
Toluene > benzene > m-nitrobenzene