Question

How can you obtain the following?
(a) Aniline from ammonium benzoate
(b) Benzene diazonium chloride from nitrobenzene
(c) 2,4,6-Tribromoaniline from aniline

Hint:

For aromatic substitution reactions, the amino group (\(-\text{NH}_2\)) is an activating group, which facilitates electrophilic substitution at the ortho and para positions.

Answer 1

(a) Decarboxylation of ammonium benzoate by heating with soda lime yields aniline.
(b) Nitrobenzene is reduced to aniline, which is then treated with sodium nitrite and hydrochloric acid to produce benzene diazonium chloride.
(c) Bromination of aniline with bromine water, under catalytic conditions or with heat, results in 2,4,6-tribromoaniline due to electrophilic substitution at the ortho and para positions of the amino group.