Increasing order of reactivity of the following compounds for SN1 substitution is:abcd
(A)(b) < (c) < (d) < (a)
(B)(a) < (b) < (d) < (c)
(C)(b) < (a) < (d) < (c)✓ Correct
(D)(b) < (c) < (a) < (d)
Answer: (C)
Solution
Reactivity toward SN1 substitution follows the stability of the carbocation each substrate can form. The primary halide (b) gives the least stable cation and so reacts slowest. The secondary halide (a) comes next. The benzyl halide (d) forms a resonance-stabilised benzylic cation, which is more stable still, and the p-methoxybenzyl halide (c) is best of all because the electron-donating −OCH3 feeds extra electron density into the benzylic cation by resonance. The increasing order is therefore (b) < (a) < (d) < (c).
JEE Main · 2019 · 09 Apr 2019 · Shift 2 · Single correct option