What is the order of increasing nucleophilic addition reactivity- CH3COCH3, C6H5COCH3, CH3CHO?

1 Answer
anor277
Feb 12, 2016

Reactivity increases in the order: C_6H_5C(=O)CH_3; H_3C-C(=O)CH_3; H_3C-C(=O)H

Explanation:

Consider the organic shrubbery substituting the carbonyl group. Phenylacetone has a whopping great phenyl group; acetone has 2 methyl groups, versus acetaldehyde, 1 methyl, and 1 hydrogen.

Now it is well-known that aldehydes are much more reactive than ketones, so acetaldehyde is the MOST reactive. Next comes the ketone, acetone, and least reactive to substitution is the phenylacetone.

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