What is the formal oxidation state of the central nitrogen atom in the active electrophilic species — Aromatic Hydrocarbons Chemistry Question

💡 Solution & Explanation

The active electrophilic species in nitration is the nitronium ion, $NO_2^+$. Oxygen is typically assigned an oxidation state of -2. To find the oxidation state of Nitrogen (let's call it $x$): $x + 2(-2) = +1$, which simplifies to $x - 4 = +1$, so $x = +5$.