Predicting Benzene Orientation - Organic Chemistry

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Question

What is the arrangement of the substituents of the major product when bromine in iron (III) bromide reacts with bromobenzene?

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Answer

When speaking of the arrangemts of two substituents on a benzene, their positions can be ortho, meta, or para. Ortho substituents are bound to adjacent carbons (C1 and C2). Meta substituents are bound to carbons with one intermediary carbon (C1 and C3). Para substituents are opposite one another across the benzene ring (C1 and C4).

The bromines in the given reaction result in a para product because bromine is ortho/para directing. There is a significant amount of ortho product, but because of steric hinderance, the major product is para.

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