Toluene on treatment with one equivalent of Br2 in presence of light gives (as major product):

Correct answer: C. Benzylbromide

  • A. o-Bromotoluene
  • B. p-Bromotoluene
  • C. Benzylbromide
  • D. Mixture of (1) & (2)

Explanation

Option C is correct. Toluene on treatment with one equivalent of bromine in the presence of light produces benzyl bromide as the major product. The reaction can be represented by the following equation: C6H5CH3 + Br2 → C6H5CH2Br + HBr In this reaction, the bromine molecule is activated by the light, and it then attacks the methyl group of the toluene molecule, forming a benzyl radical. The benzyl radical then reacts with another bromine molecule, forming benzyl bromide. The benzyl bromide is the major product of the reaction because it is the most stable product. The benzyl group is electron-donating, which makes the benzyl radical more stable than the methyl radical. The reaction between toluene and bromine is a free radical reaction. In a free radical reaction, a free radical is formed and it then reacts with another molecule to form a new product. The free radical is a chemical species that has an unpaired electron.

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About Alkyl Halides

Alkyl halides are named and related to their carbon-halogen structure, polarity and reactivity. The key reactions are nucleophilic substitution by SN1 and SN2 mechanisms and elimination by E1 and E2 mechanisms, including how substrate structure, nucleophile, base, solvent and temperature influence substitution versus elimination.

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