Carbocation Stability in Prop-1-enylbenzene

[Suraj M]

Consider:
prop-1-enylbenzene
Why is the carbocation more stable when the +ve charge is on the carbon directly attached to the benzene ring as apposed to the +ve charge on the the 2nd carbon counted from the benzene ring?

 

[Raghav Gupta]

Consider:
prop-1-enylbenzene
Why is the carbocation more stable when the +ve charge is on the carbon directly attached to the benzene ring as apposed to the +ve charge on the the 2nd carbon counted from the benzene ring?

Because of benzyl group which is resonance stabilized it neutralizes more the +ve charge by inductive effect as compared to a 2° carbon.

 

[AdityaDev]

Because of benzyl group which is resonance stabilized it neutralizes more the +ve charge by inductive effect as compared to a 2° carbon.

Phenyl group destabilises carbocations by inductive effect since it's an electron withdrawing group, but it can stabilise carbocations by resonance effect.
Try drawing the resonance structures of the compound with carbocations on the 2nd carbon.

 

[Suraj M]

Try drawing the resonance structures of the compound with carbocations on the 2nd carbon.

+R right? Got the structure!