The electrophilic aromatic substitution reaction of nitration involves the addition of a nitro group -NO2 to an aromatic ring, such as benzene. The reagents used in this reaction are nitric acid HNO3 and sulfuric acid H2SO4 . The detailed mechanism of this reaction can be described in the following steps:1. Generation of the electrophile nitronium ion, NO2+ :The first step involves the formation of the electrophile, which is the nitronium ion NO2+ . This is formed by the protonation of nitric acid HNO3 by sulfuric acid H2SO4 , followed by the loss of a water molecule H2O .HNO3 + H2SO4 NO2+ + H3O+ + HSO4-2. Electrophilic attack on the aromatic ring:The electrophile, nitronium ion NO2+ , attacks the aromatic ring benzene at one of its carbon atoms. This leads to the formation of a positively charged intermediate called a sigma complex or arenium ion. The aromaticity of the benzene ring is disrupted during this step.Benzene + NO2+ Sigma complex arenium ion 3. Deprotonation and regeneration of aromaticity:In the final step, a proton H+ is removed from the sigma complex by the bisulfate ion HSO4- that was formed in the first step. This restores the aromaticity of the benzene ring and results in the formation of the nitrobenzene product.Sigma complex + HSO4- Nitrobenzene + H2SO4Overall, the reaction can be summarized as:Benzene + HNO3 + H2SO4 Nitrobenzene + H2O + H2SO4This mechanism describes the electrophilic aromatic substitution reaction of nitration using nitric acid and sulfuric acid as the reagents on benzene.