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+ Chemical reactions
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+ Organic chemistry
+ Nitric acid
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Oslo Wilhunky

Why is sulfuric acid used in aromatic nitration?

Aneeqa Sabir  Follow

Sulphur dioxide is first oxidised to sulphur tri-oxide using the “contact process”.

The SO3 gas is then dissolved in water to form sulphuric acid.

2SO2(g) + O2 -> 2SO3(g) : A catalyst is required (Platinum)

SO3(g) + H2O -> H2SO4 (aq)

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Brittany Roma  Follow

The electrophile that attacks the benzene ring in aromatic nitration is the nitronium

ion, NO2^+.

Concentrated sulphuric acid facilitates easy generation of the nitronium ion by its interaction with nitric acid as per the following equation.

H2SO4 + HNO3 → HSO4^- + NO2^+ + H2O

A mixture of conc.HNO3 and conc.H2SO4, therefore, is usually taken for aromatic nitration.

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