The electrophile in nitration of benzene reaction is:

Options

A. `NO_(2)`
B. `N_2O`
C. `NO_(2)^(+)`
D. NO

Answer

To determine the electrophile in the nitration of benzene, we can follow these steps:

### Step 1: Understand the reagents used in nitration
In the nitration of benzene, we typically use concentrated nitric acid (HNO3) and concentrated sulfuric acid (H2SO4).

### Step 2: Identify the role of sulfuric acid
Sulfuric acid acts as a strong acid and protonates the nitric acid. This means that it donates a proton (H+) to the nitric acid.

### Step 3: Formation of the nitronium ion
When nitric acid (HNO3) is protonated by sulfuric acid, it forms the nitronium ion (NO2+), which is the actual electrophile in the reaction. The reaction can be summarized as follows:
1. HNO3 + H2SO4 → NO2+ + HSO4- + H2O

### Step 4: Electrophilic attack on benzene
The nitronium ion (NO2+) is a strong electrophile and can attack the electron-rich benzene ring, leading to the formation of nitrobenzene.

### Conclusion
Thus, the electrophile in the nitration of benzene is the nitronium ion (NO2+).

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