Electrophilic aromatic substitution

Definition

Electrophilic aromatic substitution is a chemical reaction in which an atom, typically hydrogen, attached to an aromatic system, such as benzene, is replaced by an electrophile. This process preserves the aromaticity of the compound while introducing a functional group.

Related terms

Aromaticity:

Stability gained by certain cyclic compounds through delocalized bonding electrons.

Electrophile:

A reagent attracted to electrons that typically seeks to accept an electron pair in order to bond to a nucleophile.

Benzene:

A simple aromatic hydrocarbon with a six-membered ring structure and delocalized pi electrons between carbon atoms