Aryl halides are less reactive towards nucleophilic substitution reaction. Give four reasons.

Explanation

(i) Resonance effect : Haloarenes are resonance stabilized with halogen carbon-double bond. (ii) Hybridization: Carbon in haloarence is sp^2 hybridized which has more s-character and can hold the electron pair of C-X more tightly than sp^3 carbon in haloalkanes. (iii) Instability of phenylcation: Phenylcation is not resonance stabilized.