During the nitration of benzene, a mixture of concentrated nitric acid and concentrated sulfuric acid is used to generate the active electrophile, NO2+\text{NO}_2^+NO2+.
Which statement correctly describes the behavior of nitric acid in this electrophile-generation step?
It acts as a Brønsted-Lowry acid because it donates a proton to sulfuric acid.
It acts as a Brønsted-Lowry base because it accepts a proton from sulfuric acid.
It acts as a Lewis acid because it accepts an electron pair to form the active electrophile.
It acts as a catalyst because it is regenerated at the end of the electrophilic substitution mechanism.
