Determine a detailed mechanism for the chlorination of benzene using cl2 and fecl3.

Step (1):

Generation of electrophile: by the action of Lewis acid FeCl₃ on Cl₂ to serve as a source of Cl⁺ (Electrophile)

Step (2):

Addition of electrophile to form carbocation:

addition of electrophile to form C-Cl bond and form carbocation which is stabilized by resonance.

Step (3):

Loss of proton to re-form the aromatic ring by the action of FeCl₄⁻ which removes proton from carbon containing Cl and forming the aromatic ring again