Conversion of Benzene to methyl benzoate

Explanation

To convert benzene to methyl benzoate, we can follow these steps:

### Step 1: Friedel-Crafts Alkylation
- **Reaction**: Treat benzene with methyl chloride (CH₃Cl) in the presence of aluminum chloride (AlCl₃).
- **Mechanism**:
- AlCl₃ acts as a Lewis acid and forms a complex with CH₃Cl, generating a methyl cation (CH₃⁺).
- The methyl cation then attacks the benzene ring, resulting in the formation of toluene (methylbenzene).

...