Question

Describe with chemical equation what happens when chloromethane is reacted with toluene in the presence of anhydrous aluminium chloride?

Answer 1

When chloromethane is reacted with toluene in the presence of anhydrous aluminium chloride, a Friedel-Crafts alkylation reaction occurs, producing various isomers of xylene (dimethylbenzene) and hydrogen chloride. The primary products are ortho-xylene and para-xylene, due to the activating and ortho/para-directing nature of the methyl group on toluene.