Which of the following compounds is most reactive towards electrophilic substitution reactions?
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Electron-donating groups like –OH increase the rate of electrophilic substitution, whereas electron-withdrawing groups like –NO\textsubscript{2} decrease it.
Phenol is the most reactive due to the electron-donating resonance effect of the –OH group, which increases the electron density on the aromatic ring, especially at ortho and para positions. This enhances its reactivity towards electrophiles.