Conversion of Benzoic acid to m-nitrobenzyl alcohol

Explanation

To convert benzoic acid to m-nitrobenzyl alcohol, we will follow a two-step process involving nitration and reduction. Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of the solution:

### Step 1: Nitration of Benzoic Acid
1. **Starting Material**: Begin with benzoic acid (C6H5COOH).
2. **Reagents**: Treat benzoic acid with concentrated nitric acid (HNO3) in the presence of concentrated sulfuric acid (H2SO4).
3. **Mechanism**: The concentrated HNO3 will introduce a nitro group (NO2) to the aromatic ring of benzoic acid. Due to the electron-withdrawing nature of the carboxylic acid group (COOH), the nitro group will be added at the meta position.
4. **Product Formation**: The product of this reaction will be m-nitrobenzoic acid (C6H4(NO2)COOH).

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