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+ Chemical reactions
+ Chemistry
+ Phenol
+ Organic chemistry
Posted by
Kostas Ampatzis

Why is benzene diazonium salt not much stable and hydrolyse to phenol easily?

Brian Good  Follow

Benzene diazonium salts decompose to a phenyl carbocation and nitrogen gas. It is a sort of “perfect storm” of enthalpy and entropy. Decomposition produces a very stable N2 mokecule so there is a favorable enthalpy change. At the same time we are making two particles from one (one of which is a gas). So the reaction will be favored by entropg (especially as we raise the temperature). Although the phenyl carbocation is resonance stabilized, if is still highly electrophilic and will accept an electron pair from whatever nucleophile is nearby. If that nucleophile is water, it will make phenol and H+.

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