Benzene undergoes electrophilic substitution rather than addition because substitution
Correct answer: A. preserves the stable delocalised pi system
- A. preserves the stable delocalised pi system
- B. produces a smaller molecule
- C. requires no catalyst
- D. is always exothermic
Explanation
Addition would destroy the aromatic sextet and lose the large resonance stabilisation, whereas replacing a hydrogen leaves the delocalised ring intact. This is why benzene reacts with bromine only in the presence of a halogen carrier and gives bromobenzene rather than a dibromo addition product. Nitration, sulphonation and Friedel Crafts reactions follow the same pattern.
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About Benzene and Aromatic Compounds
Benzene has a planar ring of delocalised π electrons, giving aromatic stability and equal carbon-carbon bond lengths. The topic covers resonance, electrophilic substitution reactions such as nitration, halogenation, sulphonation and Friedel-Crafts reactions, along with substituent effects and the distinction between substitution in benzene and addition in ordinary alkenes.
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