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JEE Advanced levelSingle correct optionDifficulty 3 of 3o1042

Unhindered amines attacking in the same solvent follow nucleophilicity that tracks basicity. The pKa values of the conjugate acids are: 10.6; 9.25; 5.7; 1.0. The order of decreasing nucleophilicity of the free amines is

  1. Amethylamine > 2,2,2-trifluoroethanamine > ammonia > 4-nitroaniline
  2. Bmethylamine > ammonia > 2,2,2-trifluoroethanamine > 4-nitroaniline
  3. Cammonia > methylamine > 2,2,2-trifluoroethanamine > 4-nitroaniline
  4. D4-nitroaniline > 2,2,2-trifluoroethanamine > ammonia > methylamine

Answer: B

Ranking the conjugate-acid pKa values gives 10.6 > 9.25 > 5.7 > 1.0. The higher the pKa the more available the nitrogen lone pair, so the order is methylamine > ammonia > 2,2,2-trifluoroethanamine (strongly withdrawing ) > 4-nitroaniline (lone pair delocalised into a nitroarene).
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