MCAT Question A Day - 2/8/14 - Answer!

The base-strengthening substituents on aromatic amines

A. activate the ring toward electrophilic substitution.

B. activate the ring toward nucleophilic substitution.

C. activate the ring toward meta substitution.

D. deactivate the ring toward electrophilic substitution.

The correct answer is (A). Base-strengthening substituents send electrons into the ring, thus activating it to electrophilic attack as well as localizing the lone-pair electrons on nitrogen and increasing its basicity.

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