The conversion of benzene to m-nitroacetophenone involves a two-step reaction process:
Step 1: Friedel-Crafts Acylation (Benzene to Acetophenone)
- Reagents: Acetyl chloride (CH₃COCl) and anhydrous aluminum chloride (AlCl₃)
- Reaction:
- This reaction introduces the acetyl group (-COCH₃) to benzene, forming acetophenone.
Step 2: Nitration (Acetophenone to m-Nitroacetophenone)
- Reagents: A mixture of concentrated nitric acid (HNO₃) and concentrated sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄)
- Reaction:
- The acetyl (-COCH₃) group is a meta-directing group, so nitration predominantly yields m-nitroacetophenone.
Thus, the final product is m-nitroacetophenone (3-nitroacetophenone).
