Which specific electrophilic aromatic substitution reaction exhibits a measurable kinetic isotope ef — Aromatic Hydrocarbons Chemistry Question
Question
Which specific electrophilic aromatic substitution reaction exhibits a measurable kinetic isotope effect (kH/kD greater than 1) because its energy barrier for reverting to reactants is comparable to the barrier for proton loss?
Answer: C
💡 Solution & Explanation
Sulfonation is highly reversible. The intermediate can either revert to reactants or lose a proton. Because these two paths have similar activation energies, making the C-H bond harder to break (by using C-D) slows the forward path, resulting in a measurable isotope effect.
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