Assertion (A) : Benzoic acid does not undergo Friedel – Crafts reaction.
Reason (R) : Carboxyl group is deactivating and the catalyst aluminium chloride gets bonded to the carboxyl group. (A)
Ans. Let’s analyze the given Assertion (A) and Reason (R):
Assertion (A): Benzoic acid does not undergo Friedel–Crafts reaction.
Reason (R): The carboxyl group is deactivating, and the catalyst aluminum chloride gets bonded to the carboxyl group.
Now, let’s evaluate:
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Assertion (A) is true. Benzoic acid does not undergo Friedel–Crafts reaction because the carboxyl group is meta-directing and deactivating in electrophilic aromatic substitution reactions. It directs incoming electrophiles to the meta position, making the reaction difficult to carry out.
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Reason (R) is also true. The carboxyl group in benzoic acid is deactivating and meta-directing due to its electron-withdrawing nature. Additionally, aluminum chloride, the catalyst for Friedel–Crafts reaction, can form a complex with the carboxyl group, leading to a decreased reactivity in the reaction.