The reaction between benzene and nitric acid to produce nitrobenzene is an example of electrophilic aromatic substitution. The mechanism involves the following steps:1. Formation of the electrophile: Nitric acid HNO3 reacts with a strong acid, typically sulfuric acid H2SO4 , to generate the nitronium ion NO2+ , which acts as the electrophile in this reaction.HNO3 + H2SO4 NO2+ + HSO4- + H2O2. Electrophilic attack: The electrophile, NO2+, attacks the benzene ring, which is rich in electron density due to the presence of delocalized electrons. This attack results in the formation of a resonance-stabilized carbocation intermediate called the sigma complex or arenium ion.3. Deprotonation: A base, usually the bisulfate ion HSO4- that was formed in the first step, abstracts a proton from the carbocation intermediate. This step restores the aromaticity of the benzene ring and generates nitrobenzene as the final product.Overall, the reaction can be summarized as:C6H6 benzene + HNO3 nitric acid C6H5NO2 nitrobenzene + H2O water Keep in mind that this reaction requires a strong acid catalyst, such as sulfuric acid, to generate the electrophile and facilitate the reaction.