Question

Nitration of aniline also gives $m$-nitroaniline in strong acidic medium because

• A. in electrophilic substitution reaction, amino group is meta-directive
• B. inspite of substituerlts, nitro group always goes to $m$-position
• C. in strong acidic medium, aniline forms anilinium ion
• D. none of the above

Answer 1

Answer: (C)

Nitration of aniline in strong acidic medium also gives m-nitroaniline because in acidic (strong) medium aniline is present as anilinium ion. Amino $- NH _{2}$ group is ortho-para directing but $-NH _{3}^{+}$group is meta directing.
$C _{6} H _{5}- NH _{2}+ H ^{+} \xrightarrow{\text { strong acid, nitrating mixture }}C _{6} H _{5}- NH _{3}^{+} \xrightarrow{ NO _{2}^{+}}m -$ nitroaniline