Chemistry Assessment

Reaction of Benzene
6A

Answer the following questions:

A. Explain the role of FeBr3 in the bromination of benzene
Because bromine itself isn’t electrophilic enough to react with benzene, a strong
Lewis acid catalyst, such as FeBr3, is introduced in order to catalyse the reaction.
In the reaction, the bromine molecule reacts with FeBr3 by donating a pair of its
electrons to the Lewis acid, which creates a more polar Br-Br bond, and thus a
more reactive electrophile.

B. In the nitration of benzene, sulphuric acid assists with forming the electrophile with
the use of a relevant, mechanism; explain this process
 In the nitration of benzene, sulphuric acid is mixed with nitric acid in order to
produce a nitronium ion, which acts a powerful electrophile. This powerful
electrophile is used in order to further the nitrification of benzene and forming an
aromatic product. The sulphuric acid is used in this reaction and acts as an acidic
catalyst which both lowers the temperature of the reaction and increases its
rate/speed. This lowers the chances explosion produced from nitric acid’s being a
powerful oxidizer and speeds up the reaction rate.
 A mechanism can be used to show the formation of a nitronium ion, this
mechanism is as followed

Step 1: Protonation Step 2: Dehydration Step 3: electrophile/

occurs between O-H of the conjugate nitronium ion is formed
branch of the nitric acid molecule occurs alongside the by-
with the hydrogen of the product of water.
sulphuric acid.

NB:
Protonation  this is the addition of a proton/hydrogen to another atom to another chemical specie
to form a conjugate acid

.
 C. Account for the following with respect to the nitration of toluene
a. The rate compared to the nitration of benzene directing the group increasing
rate of reaction
 Toluene reacts about 25 times faster than benzene under identical conditions and
this is because of the ortho para
b. The products generated from the nitration of benzene
 Nitration of Toluene generates the major products, with substitution at the ortho
and para positions and electrophile binding to the ring.

Group Members – 6A:

Kayandra Bailey
Khadedra Kennedy
Everton Smith
Dejhanae Watson