Introduction:In organic chemistry, an electrophile is a molecule or ion that is attracted to electrons and can accept a pair of electrons from another molecule. The reactivity of a compound towards electrophiles depends on the availability of electrons and their distribution within the molecule.Answer:Among the given compounds, phenol will be the most readily attacked by an electrophile. This is because of the following reasons:1. Presence of a hydroxyl group: Phenol contains a hydroxyl (-OH) group attached to the benzene ring. This group can donate electrons to the ring through resonance, making the ring more electron-rich and therefore more susceptible to attack by electrophiles.2. Lower electron density in chlorobenzene and toluene: Chlorobenzene contains a chlorine atom attached to the benzene ring, which withdraws electrons from the ring through inductive effect, reducing the electron density. Similarly, toluene contains a methyl group attached to the ring, which also withdraws electrons from the ring. As a result, both chlorobenzene and toluene are less reactive towards electrophiles compared to phenol.3. Lack of resonance in benzene: Benzene contains only carbon and hydrogen atoms in its ring, which do not have any electron-withdrawing or donating groups. As a result, benzene is less reactive towards electrophiles compared to phenol.Conclusion:In summary, phenol is the most reactive towards electrophiles among the given compounds due to the presence of a hydroxyl group, which enhances the electron density of the ring through resonance. Chlorobenzene and toluene are less reactive due to the presence of electron-withdrawing groups, while benzene is less reactive due to the lack of any electron-donating or withdrawing groups.

Phenol is an aromatic organic compound with the molecular formula C6H5OH. It is a white crystalline solid that is volatile. The molecule consists of a phenyl group bonded to a hydroxy group.Mildly acidic it requires careful handling because it can cause chemical burns...