Question

Which Solvent is used in Friedel Crafts Reaction?

Answer 1

Hint: An electrophilic aromatic substitution occurs during the Friedel-Crafts reaction, an aromatic chemical process. This reaction was developed by two scientists, James Crafts and Charles Friedel of the United States. In the Friedel-Crafts reaction, the aromatic molecule experiences electrophilic substitution. The hydrogen atom in benzene gets switched out for an electrophile in the presence of a Lewis acid, such as anhydrous aluminium chloride.

Complete Step by Step Solution:
An electrophilic aromatic substitution of an aromatic substance is the Friedel-Crafts reaction. Two chemists, French Charles Friedel and American James Crafts, created this well-known reaction. The aromatic molecule experiences an electrophilic substitution in the Friedel-Crafts reaction. Friedel-Crafts Alkylation and Friedel-Crafts Acylation are the two types of Friedel-Crafts Reactions. Electrophilic aromatic substitution is involved in both forms of Acetyl Chloride, Benzene Ions, Friedel Craft Alkylation, and Friedel Craft Acylation.
In Friedel-Crafts reaction, nitrobenzene is used as a solvent. Nitro\[(N{O_2})\] groups strongly deactivate aromatic rings to electrophilic aromatic substitution reactions because they draw electron density away from the ring by resonance, destabilising the carbocation intermediate.

Nitrobenzene has high dielectric constant and \[AlC{l_3}\]can interact with the nitro-benzene to form complex \[{C_6}{H_5}N{O_2}\] also. \[AlC{l_3}\] which is soluble in excess of nitrobenzene. Because in nitrobenzene it is substituted with electron withdrawing group so it cannot attack any of the reactant or formed product nitrogen has positive charge which is delocalized by oxygen so it does not form complex with \[AlC{l_3}\], it has relatively an appropriate boiling point so the reaction can be carried out at high temperature.
Therefore, Nitrobenzene is used as a solvent in the Friedel Crafts reaction

Note: Due to the same effect fusion of \[p - \]chloronitrobenzene with \[KOH\]gives a low yield of a mixture of \[P - \] nitro phenols. Strong electron-withdrawing groups on the ortho or para positions of aryl halides react with nucleophiles to produce substitution products. An electron-withdrawing nitro group (such as \[N{O_2}\]) is directly linked to the phenyl ring in nitrobenzene. A solvent with a high deactivating substituent is additionally preferred. An electron-withdrawing nitro group is directly linked to the phenyl ring in nitrobenzene. Additionally, a solvent with a high deactivating substituent is desirable.