Mark the correct increasing order of reactivity of the following compounds with HBr/HCl.

(a)



(b)



(c)



The reaction is a acid base reaction.

Thus, after the donation of the OH- ion formation of benzyl carbocation takes place.


When an electron-withdrawing group (NO2, Cl) is present on the aromatic ring the carbocation stability decreases.Since the electron-withdrawing property of NO2 is greater than Cl, the carbocation will be highly unstable.


Thus, an order of reactivity is b<c<a in increasing order.

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