In the electrophilic aromatic substitution of naphthalene, attack at the (C-1) position is kinetical — Aromatic Hydrocarbons Chemistry Question
Question
In the electrophilic aromatic substitution of naphthalene, attack at the $\alpha$ (C-1) position is kinetically preferred over attack at the $\beta$ (C-2) position because:
Answer: B
💡 Solution & Explanation
Alpha-attack produces an intermediate with two canonical forms that preserve a fully intact, low-energy benzenoid ring in the adjacent fused ring. Beta-attack only provides one such structure, raising its activation energy.
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