Organic Chemistry : Benzene Additions

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for Organic Chemistry

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Example Questions

Example Question #11 : Assigning Ortho, Meta, Para

What is the product of the reaction shown?

Screen shot 2015 12 26 at 9.13.10 pm

Possible Answers:

I and III

III only

I, II, and III

I only

Correct answer:

I and III

Explanation:

In the molecule shown, the aldehyde group will direct incoming substituents to positions meta to it, and both the the hydroxyl group AND the fluorine group will direct incoming substituents to positions ortho or para to them. Options I and III show the incoming substituent meta to the aldehyde group, as well as either ortho or para to both the fluorine group and hydroxyl group. Therefore, they are both possible products.

Note: because option III shows attachment at a carbon that is slightly less sterically hindered than that of option I, option III will be produced in a slightly greater quantity.

Example Question #12 : Assigning Ortho, Meta, Para

Predict the major product in the reaction shown.

Screen shot 2015 12 26 at 9.14.15 pm

Possible Answers:

I

II

IV

III

Correct answer:

III

Explanation:

The reagents shown will add a bromine to an aromatic ring through an electrophilic aromatic substitution mechanism. A nitro  group is a strong electron withdrawing group and a benzene deactivator. All benzene deactivators (with the exception of halogens) direct incoming substituents to the meta  positions. Therefore, option III is the major product.

Example Question #361 : Organic Chemistry

What is a major product of the following reaction?

Screen shot 2015 12 26 at 9.14.35 pm

Possible Answers:

II only

I only

I and II

III only

Correct answer:

I only

Explanation:

This is an example of a Friedel-Crafts acylation reaction, which will add an acyl group (alkyl group containing a carbonyl () group) to a benzene ring at the carbonyl carbon (shown below).

Screen shot 2015 12 26 at 10.36.31 pm

This reaction proceeds using an electrophilic aromatic substitution reaction mechanism. The presence of the hydroxyl group on the benzene will affect where the incoming acyl group will attach. A hydroxyl group is a strong benzene activator, which will direct incoming substituents to positions ortho  or para  to it. Option I is the only option shown where the incoming substituent is attached at either the ortho or para position.

Example Question #13 : Assigning Ortho, Meta, Para

Predict the major product of the reaction shown.

Screen shot 2015 12 26 at 9.14.56 pm

Possible Answers:

II only

I only

I and III

III only

Correct answer:

III only

Explanation:

This reaction proceeds using an electrophilic aromatic substitution reaction mechanism. The presence of the amino group on the benzene will affect where the incoming acyl group will attach. An amino group is a strong benzene activator, which will direct incoming substituents to positions ortho  or para  to it. Option III is the only option shown where the incoming substituent is attached at either the ortho or para position on a benzene ring.

Example Question #367 : Organic Chemistry

If the molecule phenol (hydroxybenzene) were to undergo electrophilic aromatic substitution, which carbon(s) will the hydroxyl group direct incoming substituents to? (Start labeling carbons with number  being the carbon containing the hydroxyl group,  being the one immediately next to it, and continuing around the ring).

Possible Answers:

, and 

 only

, and 

 and 

Correct answer:

, and 

Explanation:

Several resonance structures can be drawn for the molecule phenol. These are shown below.

Screen shot 2015 12 26 at 9.15.15 pm

Because the overall charge distribution puts partial negative charges on carbons , and , these carbons have an increased nucleophilic character. Therefore, these carbons are more likely than the other carbons to accept an incoming electrophilic substituent, making these positions more likely to be substituted. Carbons  and  are known as the ortho positions, and carbon  is known as the para position.

Example Question #361 : Organic Chemistry

If the molecule nitrobenzene were to undergo an electrophilic aromatic substitution, on which carbon(s) will the incoming substituent likely be directed to? (When numbering carbons on the benzene ring, label the carbon containing the nitro group as carbon number , the one immediately next to it as carbon number , and continue around the ring in that direction.

Possible Answers:

All carbons are equally likely to be substituted.

 and 

, and 

 and 

Correct answer:

 and 

Explanation:

Several resonance structures can be drawn for the molecule nitrobenzene. These are shown below.

Screen shot 2015 12 26 at 9.11.16 pm

From these resonance structures, an overall molecular electronic distribution can be determined:

Screen shot 2015 12 26 at 9.11.29 pm

Because the overall charge distribution puts partial positive charges on carbons , and , these carbons have an increased electrophilic character. Therefore, these carbons are less likely than the other carbons to accept an incoming electrophilic substituent, making these positions less likely to be substituted. By default, carbons , and , known as the meta positions are the only ones nucleophilic enough to carry out this reaction.

Example Question #11 : Benzene Additions

What is the arrangement of the substituents of the major product when bromine in iron (III) bromide reacts with bromobenzene?

Possible Answers:

Para

Ortho

Meta

Substituents will be on the same carbon

None of these

Correct answer:

Para

Explanation:

When speaking of the arrangemts of two substituents on a benzene, their positions can be ortho, meta, or para. Ortho substituents are bound to adjacent carbons (C1 and C2). Meta substituents are bound to carbons with one intermediary carbon (C1 and C3). Para substituents are opposite one another across the benzene ring (C1 and C4).

The bromines in the given reaction result in a para product because bromine is ortho/para directing. There is a significant amount of ortho product, but because of steric hinderance, the major product is para.

Example Question #1 : Predicting Benzene Orientation

Vt orgo question

Suppose that toluene, whose chemical structure is shown, is reacted with  in the presence of . Which of the following would be expected to be the major product of this reaction?

Possible Answers:

Vt orgo wrong answer 2

Vt orgo wrong answer 3

Vt orgo wrong answer 1

Vt orgo correct answer

Correct answer:

Vt orgo correct answer

Explanation:

This question is essentially testing an understanding of electrophilic aromatic substitution and substituent placement.  first acts as a lewis acid by accepting the chloride from the  reagent, which generates . This, in turn, is susceptible to nucleophilic attack from one of the double bonds in the benzene ring. Due to the disruption of aromaticity in the ring, this double bond is quickly restored by abstraction of an adjacent proton on the ring.

But we also need to be aware of what position this substituent will be directed to. Since the original molecule, toluene, consists of a benzene ring bonded to an electron-donating methyl group, this directs the substitution reaction towards the ortho or para position on the ring. Of the choices shown, only the para position is shown. The ortho position is not shown as an answer choice, and direction to the meta position would not be likely.

Example Question #11 : Stereochemistry

1

What is the product of the given reaction?

Possible Answers:

6

2

4

5

3

Correct answer:

5

Explanation:

This is a trick question on Friedal-Craft alkylation. If you didn't pick the starting material, that is because you forgot the rule that alkylation cannot happen on a highly deactivated aromatic ring. Since  is a highly deactivating group the answer is no reaction, or:

5

Example Question #1 : Predicting Benzene Orientation

What is the product for the following reaction?

Screen shot 2015 10 27 at 10.58.21 pm

Possible Answers:


Screen shot 2015 10 27 at 10.58.12 pm

Screen shot 2015 10 24 at 10.10.57 am

Screen shot 2015 10 24 at 10.11.01 am


Screen shot 2015 10 27 at 10.58.15 pm

Screen shot 2015 10 24 at 10.10.53 am

Correct answer:


Screen shot 2015 10 27 at 10.58.15 pm

Explanation:

While both the bromide and the alkyl group are ortho/para directing groups, the alkyl group is more activating and therefore the carbonyl will be added ortho to that substituent. The  and  work to reduce the carbonyl to an .

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