Aromatic HydrocarbonshardMCQ SINGLE⭐ Must-Do

Which specific electrophilic aromatic substitution reaction exhibits a measurable kinetic isotope efAromatic 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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