Ch6.1 Aromatic compounds, carbonyls and acids Flashcards
What are the physical properties of benzene?
- colourless
- volatile
- liquid
Why is benzene produced in huge quantities?
- it has so many uses as a feedstock chemical
- it’s used to produce many things such as: pharmaceuticals, plastics, weedkillers and pesticides
State the 3 problems with Kekule’s structure of benzene
- the bromination problem
- the bond length problem
- the hydrogenation problem
Explain the bromination problem of Kekule’s structure of benzene
- if benzene contained C=C bonds it would decolourise bromine water, but it doesn’t
Explain the bond length problem of Kekule’s structure of benzene
- if benzene contained alternating C-C bonds and C=C bonds, then the bond lengths would also alternate 0.13, 0.15, 0.13, 0.15 etc. around the ring
- in fact, all the bonds have the same length (0.14nm)
Explain the hydrogenation problem of Kekule’s structure of benzene
- when cyclohexene reacts with hydrogen, the enthalpy change is -120kJ/mol
- if benzene had 3 C=C double bonds, hydrogenation should give an enthalpy change of -360kJ/mol
- in reality it is -208kJ/mol which is less exothermic then expected
Describe the modern understanding of benzene
- the pi electrons in each C=C bond delocalise to form 2 delocalised pi rings (this is what the circle in the hexagon represents when you draw benzene)
- benzene is very stable and unreactive
Why is benzene stable and unreactive?
- there are no regions of positive or negative charge for nucleophiles or electrophiles to attack
- even radicals can’t attack the ring
How are benzene compounds named if benzene is the dominant group?
- the stem is benzene and the prefix tells us which side groups are attached
How are compounds including benzene named if benzene isn’t the dominant group?
- the benzene group is a side group which we refer to as a phenyl
- the other part of the molecule that is dominant is the stem of the name
What are the 2 key reactions of benzene?
- nitration
- halogenation
Describe the very special conditions needed for nitration of benzene
- nitrating mixture must be made (mixture of concentrated nitric and sulphuric acids)
- we have to mix the acids in a flask which is sitting in an ice bath since the reaction between them is highly exothermic
- when we reflux benzene with the nitrating mixture, we need to keep it below 50 degrees C, if not then multiple substitutions occur and the mixture becomes explosive
Explain the roles of the different components in the nitrating mixture for the nitration of benzene
- nitric acid is the source of the nitro group (NO2)
- the sulphuric acid is a catalyst
How does the nitrating mixture change during the nitration of benzene?
- produces nitronium ions (NO2+)
HNO3 + H2SO4 –> NO2+ + HSO4- + H2O
- then regenerates acid catalyst
HSO4- + H+ –> H2SO4
Describe the nitration reaction of benzene mechanism
- the nitronium ion is an electrophile and it takes 2 [i electrons from the delocalised ring (full arrow from circle out to NO2+ ion)
- the C-H bond has to break (heterolytic fission) and the two bonding electrons restore the delocalised pi network (circle splits to horseshoe with + in the middle and an arrow from C-H bond to plus)
- (then benzene with an NO2 is drawn and a H+ is also produced) = these are the final products
Describe how halogenation of benzene is made possible
- halogens produce negative halide ions which will not act as electrophiles
- instead we have to make chloronium, fluoronium and bromonium ions (Cl+, F+, Br+)
How are chloronium, fluoronium and bromonium ions made?
- we mix the halogen with a halogen carrier
Which halogen carriers are used for which halogens?
- chlorine = AlCl3, FeCl3, Fe
- bromine= AlBr3, FeBr3, Fe
What are the 2 chemical equations that occur during the halogenation of benzene (use chlorine as the halogen)
Cl2 + FeCl3 –> Cl+ + FeCl4
(Cl+ is a very powerful electrophile)
FeCl4 + H+ –> FeCl3 + HCl
(the FeCl4 reacts with the H+ ions displaced from benzene to regenerate the halogen carrier)
How can organic groups be added to benzene rings?
- using Friedel-Crafts reactions
- eg, if we want to add an alkyl group to benzene, we can generate an electrophile using a halogen carrier and a haloalkane
What are the equations for generating an electrophile from a halogen carrier and a haloalkana?
CH3Cl + FeCl3 –> CH3+ + FeCl4-
H+ + FeCl4- –> HCl + FeCl3
CH3+ is the electrophile
What is another example of a Friedel-Crafts reaction other than alkylation?
acylation
What are the 2 equations that occur when preparing an electrophile for acylation of benzene?
RCClO + FeCl3 –> RCO+ + FeCl4-
H+ + FeCl4- –> HCl + FeCl3
What are phenols?
- aromatic compounds in which an OH group is attached directly to a benzene ring
Are phenols acidic or alkaline and why?
- phenols are weakly acidic because the H in OH groups is labile
- this means the OH bond breaks easily because of the proximity of the electronegative oxygen atom
What ions are formed when a phenol reacts with water?
- phenoxide ion
- oxonium ion
What can phenol react with due to it being a weak acid?
- alkalis such as sodium hydroxide
phenol + sodium hydroxide ⇌ sodium phenoxide + water
What are the chemical tests for phenols?
- turns blue litmus paper pink
- if iron (III) chloride solution is added to phenol it turns purple
- it won’t react with carbonates to make CO2 despite it being a weak acid