Chemistry · Aromatic hydrocarbons: Nomenclature, benzene - structure and aromaticity, mechanism of electrophilic substitution, halogenation, nitration

1,4-dimethylbenzene on heating with anhydrous and produces :

1,4-dimethylbenzene on heating with anhydrous \( A l C l_{3} \) and \( H C l \) produces :

  • A. 1,2 -dimethylbenzene
  • B. 1, 3-dimethylbenzene
  • C. 1,2,3 -trimethylbenzene
  • D. ethylbenzene

Step-by-step solution

Under Friedel-Crafts conditions (anhydrous AlCl3 and HCl), 1,4-dimethylbenzene (p-xylene) undergoes acid-catalyzed rearrangement to the more stable 1,3-dimethylbenzene (m-xylene). This isomerization occurs via a carbocation intermediate, where the methyl groups shift to achieve greater thermodynamic stability (meta isomer is more stable than para and ortho due to steric and electronic effects).
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