Why is phenol more stable than benzene?

Phenol has an OH group bonded to one of the carbons and this oxygen has two lone pairs in p-orbitals. Now these electrons can overlap with the electrons in the benzene ring and if we look at the molecule as a whole, the oxygen shares these electrons with the rest of the system and so, increases the electron density.

Why is nitration of benzene difficult?

As Benzene have electron cloud above and below the plane and has the tendency to attack at the electrophile so nitration of Benzene occur readily but nitration of nitrobenzene is slow process as the electron density of Benzene decreases due to the presence of electron withdrawing group -NO2 which cause -R and -I effect …

What compound undergoes nitration faster than benzene?

Also, as noted earlier, toluene undergoes nitration about 25 times faster than benzene, but chlorination of toluene is over 500 times faster than that of benzene.

Why is the nitration of nitrobenzene slower than the nitration of benzene?

Because the benzene acts as a nucleophile in electrophilic aromatic substitution, substituents that make the benzene more electron-rich can accelerate the reaction. Phenol, C6H5OH, undergoes nitration a thousand times faster than benzene does. Nitrobenzene, C6H5NO2, undergoes the reaction millions of times more slowly.

What do you understand by nitration explain the mechanism of nitration of benzene?

Nitration happens when one (or more) of the hydrogen atoms on the benzene ring is replaced by a nitro group, NO2. Benzene is treated with a mixture of concentrated nitric acid and concentrated sulphuric acid at a temperature not exceeding 50°C. Nitro groups “direct” new groups into the 3 and 5 positions.

Why is nitration of phenol used?

Phenols upon treatment with dilute nitric acid undergo nitration at low temperature (298 K) to give a mixture of ortho and para nitrophenols. When phenol is treated with concentrated nitric acid, the nitration results in the formation of 2, 4, 6-trinitrophenol (commonly called picric acid).

Why is benzene more easily nitrated?

This is due to the -OH phenol functional group, which makes nitrating the molecule easier. Benzene has a delocalised pi-system above and below the plane of the molecule. The result of this is that: it is attacked by electrophiles in an electrophilic substitution reaction.

Why is the electron density higher in phenol than in benzene?

In case of phenol the benzene ring is activated due to electron releasing -OH group and so it is easier for nitronium ion to receive electron density from phenol than benzene. Phenol is aromatic hydroxy compounds in which hydroxyl group is directly attached to the benzene ring.

Why does nitronium ion prefer phenol over benzene in electrophiles?

In this case,benzene acts as a substrate so it donates electron density to incoming reagent (here electrophile) . In case of phenol the benzene ring is activated due to electron releasing -OH group and so it is easier for nitronium ion to receive electron density from phenol than benzene.

Why does phenol undergo easy nitration at O and p positions?

Since, nitration is a type of electrophilic reaction and OH-group is an ortho/para directing group which increases electron density at ortho and para positions and so the phenol undergo an easy nitration at o and p-positions. Why does the nitration of toluene occur faster than benzene?