Question

What is the major Product of Nitration of Toulene?

Answer 1

1. Nitration is the Electrophilic substitution reaction in which we treat benzene or aromatic compounds with a nitrating mixture$\left({\mathrm{HNO}}_3+{\mathrm{H}}_2{\mathrm{SO}}_4\right)$and that compound gives rise to Nitro compounds.
2. Example -When we react benzene with a Nitrating mixture it gives Nitrobenzene.
3. When we react toluene ${\mathrm{HNO}}_3+{\mathrm{H}}_2{\mathrm{SO}}_4$it yields two isomers one is ortho and the other is a para product that is o-nitrotoulene and p-nitrotoluene.
4. The mechanism of Nitration of toluene is that the nitrating mixture ${\mathrm{HNO}}_3+{\mathrm{H}}_2{\mathrm{SO}}_4$generates Nitronium ion${\left({\mathrm{NO}}_2\right)}^{+}$ ${{\mathrm{HSO}}_4}^{-}$.
5. Nitronium ion is an electrophile and attacks at electron-rich positions of toluene which is ortho and para positions. Thus we get two isomers ortho and para nitro
6. Mechanism of Nitration is given below

Step1-

Step2-

Step3-