The rate at which benzene derivatives undergo electrophilic substitution is influenced by the type of substituent present on the benzene ring. Electron donating groups (EDGs) enhance the reaction rate, while electron withdrawing groups (EWGs) slow it down. For examples:
- Compounds like \(\text{C}_{6} \text{H}_{5} \text{CH}_{3}\) (with a methyl group) react faster than benzene due to the electron-donating nature of the methyl group.
- Compounds like \(\text{C}_{6} \text{H}_{5} \text{NO}_{2}\) (with a nitro group) react slower than benzene because the nitro group is a strong EWG.
- Hydroxyl and amino groups, as seen in \(\text{C}_{6} \text{H}_{5} \text{OH}\) and \(\text{C}_{6} \text{H}_{5} \text{NH}_{2}\) respectively, also increase the reactivity due to their electron-donating effects.
Understanding whether a substituent is an EDG or EWG helps predict the reactivity of benzene derivatives in electrophilic substitution reactions.