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JEE Advanced levelOne or more correct optionsDifficulty 3 of 3o2274

The benzene ring shown is the parent of four substituted benzenes (structures A to D). Select the structures whose mono-nitration gives mainly the meta isomer.

  1. AStructure A
  2. BStructure B
  3. CStructure C
  4. DStructure D

Answer: A, B, D

The groups are (trifluoromethylbenzene), (benzonitrile), (chlorobenzene) and (trimethylanilinium). , and are strongly electron-withdrawing with no lone pair to donate, so they deactivate the ring and direct meta. Chlorine donates a lone pair by resonance and is therefore ortho/para-directing even though it deactivates.
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