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The correct order of decreasing reactivity towards an electrophilic reagent for the following compounds is: (i) Benzene, (ii) Toluene, (iii) Chlorobenzene, (iv) Phenol.

A

(i) > (ii) > (iii) > (iv)

B

(ii) > (iv) > (i) > (iii)

C

(iv) > (iii) > (ii) > (i)

D

(iv) > (ii) > (i) > (iii)

Step-by-Step Solution

The reactivity of a substituted benzene ring towards electrophilic substitution depends on the nature of the substituent present:

  1. Phenol (iv) has an -OH\text{-OH} group, which is a strongly activating group due to its strong +R\text{+R} (resonance) effect. It increases electron density on the ring, making it highly reactive towards electrophiles .
  2. Toluene (ii) has a methyl group (-CH3\text{-CH}_3), which is an activating group due to its electron-donating inductive effect (+I\text{+I}) and hyperconjugation, making it more reactive than benzene .
  3. Benzene (i) serves as the reference compound without any substituents.
  4. Chlorobenzene (iii) has a chlorine atom. Halogens are moderately deactivating because their strong electron-withdrawing inductive effect (-I\text{-I}) outweighs their resonance effect, decreasing the overall electron density on the ring. Thus, it is less reactive than benzene .

Therefore, the correct decreasing order of reactivity is Phenol > Toluene > Benzene > Chlorobenzene, which corresponds to (iv) > (ii) > (i) > (iii).

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