Question

If you had used toluene instead of methyl benzoate in this reaction, what nitration product(s) would have formed? Write a stepwise mechanism for the nitration reaction of toluene.

Answer 1

Answer:

See explanation

Explanation:

The electrophilic substitution of aromatic compounds occurs faster in substituted aromatic compounds due to the fact that the ring becomes more or less susceptible to electrophilic attack depending on the nature of the substituent in the ring.

Electron pushing substituents such as alkyl groups stabilize the positive charge developed during electrophilic substitution hence they activate the ring towards electrophilic substitution.

The methyl group is an ortho - para directing substituent hence the product obtained by nitration of toluene is o-nitrotoluene and p-nitrotoluene.

The stepwise mechanism for obtaining these products is shown in the image attached to this answer.