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Acidity of Substituted Benzoic Acids

  • Page ID
    30590
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    Electron-withdrawing groups

    The conjugate base of benzoic acid is destabilized by electron-donating groups. This makes the acid less acidic

    Electron-withdrawing groups deactivate the benzene ring to electrophilic attack and make benzoic acids more acidic.

    Electron-donating groups

    The conjugate base of benzoic acid is stabilized by electron-withdrawing groups. This makes the acid more acidic

    Electron-withdrawing groups activate the benzene ring to electrophilic attack and make benzoic acids less acidic.


    Acidity of Substituted Benzoic Acids is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by LibreTexts.

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