Nitration of Benzene: Why Do We Need Both Nitric and Sulfuric Acids?

Why do we need both nitric and sulfuric acids for the nitration of benzene?

A. Nitric acid alone is not a strong enough oxidizing agent.
B. Sulfuric acid acts as a catalyst to enhance nitric acid's ability.
C. Both A and B.

Answer:

A mixture of nitric and sulfuric acids is required to nitrate benzene because nitric acid alone is not a strong enough oxidizing agent. Sulfuric acid enhances the oxidizing power of nitric acid by forming nitronium ion (NO2+), a powerful electrophile that can attack the benzene ring and form nitrobenzene.

The reason why we need both nitric and sulfuric acids for the nitration of benzene is because nitric acid alone is not strong enough to generate the nitronium ions needed for the nitration process. Sulfuric acid plays a crucial role in enhancing the ability of nitric acid to create these ions, allowing for the reaction to occur.

Nitric acid, while it acts as both an acid and an oxidizing agent, is not strong enough to fully oxidize benzene to form nitrobenzene on its own. This is where sulfuric acid comes in to play. When combined with nitric acid, sulfuric acid dehydrates and reacts with nitric acid to form the nitronium ion (NO2+), which is a powerful electrophile. This electrophile can then attack the benzene ring and lead to the formation of nitrobenzene.

Overall, the presence of sulfuric acid increases the reactivity of nitric acid and allows for the nitration of benzene to take place effectively. The collaboration between nitric and sulfuric acids is essential in this process to ensure successful nitration of benzene.