[peachygirl4444]

Hi...I was wondering if someone could point me in the right direction to determine which dinitrobenzene isomer (ortho, meta, or para) would be the expected major product from nitrobenzene?
Thanks.

[macman104]

Hi...I was wondering if someone could point me in the right direction to determine which dinitrobenzene isomer (ortho, meta, or para) would be the expected major product from nitrobenzene?

What kind of effect does a nitro group have on the ring?  Try and draw some resonance structures to see where the positive charges will be on the ring (as the double bonds move around the ring)

Remember that the addition of the nitro group is going to be an attack by the ring electrons on the electrophilic nitro species, so the substitution will occur at a carbon that has more electron density.

[omegasynthesis999]

Nitro is a strong electron withdrawing group and highly deactivating. Its a meta director.

[macman104]

Nitro is a strong electron withdrawing group and highly deactivating. Its a meta director.

*points to his post* I was trying to help peachygirl reach that on her own, and thus give her a better understanding of *why* the nitro group is a meta director.  Understanding the answer > just knowing the answer