| 1. (8 pts) As you now know, 1-phenyl-2-propanone (phenylacetone) has two sets of acidic protons, one of which (the one next to the ring) is much more acidic than the other (the methyl). The acidity of these protons is strongly affected by the presence of an ortho nitrile (-CN) group on the ring (this structure is depicted in the box). Please decide whether the nitrile makes the proton group more or less acidic, and support your assertion with resonance structures. |  |
