The trifluoromethyl group () is a powerful meta-director. Which of the following statements explain — Aromatic Hydrocarbons Chemistry Question

💡 Solution & Explanation

The $-CF_3$ group is strongly electron-withdrawing due to the high electronegativity of fluorine ($-I$ effect). If an electrophile attacks ortho or para, one of the resulting resonance structures places a positive charge directly on the ring carbon attached to the already partially positive $-CF_3$ carbon, which is highly unstable due to electrostatic repulsion. Meta attack avoids this highly destabilizing structure.