Question Details

C₆H₅CHO is formed when C₆H₆ is treated with CO and HCl in the presence of anhydrous AlCl₃. Name of the reaction is:

Options

A

Friedel crafts reaction

B

Gattermann Koch reaction

C

Rosenmund reaction

D

Stephen reaction

Correct Answer :

Gattermann Koch reaction

Solution :

The correct answer is Gattermann Koch reaction.

Explanation:
When benzene (C6H6) is treated with carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen chloride (HCl) gas in the presence of anhydrous aluminium chloride (AlCl3) or cuprous chloride (CuCl) as a catalyst, benzaldehyde (C6H5CHO) is formed.

This reaction is known as the Gattermann-Koch reaction. It is an electrophilic aromatic substitution reaction used for the formylation of aromatic rings. In this process, the mixture of CO and HCl acts in situ to generate formyl chloride (HCOCl), which is unstable. Anhydrous AlCl3 facilitates the generation of the active electrophile, the formyl cation (HCO+), which attacks the benzene ring to yield benzaldehyde.

The chemical equation representing the reaction is:
C6H6+CO+HClAnhydrous AlCl3C6H5CHO+HCl

Unlock Our Free Library

Access expert-curated educational resources and study materials—completely free.

Discover more resources

You may also like

Mock Tests

View All
  • JEE
  • intermediate
  • 3 hours
  • chemistry, mathematics, physics

  • JEE
  • intermediate
  • 3 hours
  • chemistry, mathematics, physics