Electrophilic Substitution Reactions of Aniline

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Electrophilic substitution reactions of Anilines: Aniline, phenyl amine, or amino benzene is an organic compound with the formula C6H5NH2. It is an organic chemical compound, specifically an aryl amine, consisting of a phenyl group attached to an amino group. The chemical structure of aniline is shown at the right. It is now used mainly in the manufacture of polyurethane, although it previously was mainly used more for dyes and drugs. Bromination: Aniline reacts with bromine water at room temperature to give a white precipitate of 2,4,6 tribromoaniline. Nitration: Direct nitration of aniline yields tarry oxidation products in addition to the nitro derivatives. Moreover, in the strongly acidic medium, aniline is protonated to form the anilinium ion which is meta directing. That is why besides the ortho and para derivatives, significant amount of meta derivative is also formed. However, by protecting the –NH2 group by acetylation reaction with acetic anhydride, the nitration reaction can be controlled and the p-nitro derivative can be obtained as the major product. Sulphonation: Aniline reacts with concentrated sulphuric acid to form anilinium hydrogen sulphate which on heating with sulphuric acid at 453-473K produces p-aminobenzene sulphonic acid, commonly known as sulphanilic acid, as the major product. Aniline does not undergo Friedel-Crafts reaction (alkylation and acetylation) due to salt formation with aluminium chloride, the Lewis acid, which is used as a catalyst. Due to this, nitrogen of aniline acquires positive charge and hence acts as a strong deactivating group for further
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