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Question

Is Chlorine an Electrophile?


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Solution

Electrophile: Electrophiles are reactants that are either positively charged or neutral.

  • Electrophile does not have a single pair of electrons which can be called electron-deficient species.
  • Positively charged or electron-deficient chemical species can accept electron pairs from other molecules or atoms and thus can accept an electron pair from electron-rich species.

Chlorine: Chlorine is a chemical element with the symbol Cl and atomic number 17.

  • Halogen is the second lightest element and appears between fluorine and bromine in the periodic table.
  • Chlorine is a yellowish-green gas at room temperature.
  • So, Cl is a Chlorine atom with 17 electrons which have 2,8,7 as electronic configuration.
  • Since, chlorine has 7 electrons, it has a vacancy for 1 electron, so it can act as an electrophile to complete its octet.
  • But on the other hand it has 3 lone pairs which can be donated to those who lack electrons..
  • The atomic form of chlorine has only three pairs of electrons, so it can donate by binding to other electron-deficient atoms or molecules.
  • In Cl- form chlorine acts as nucleophile and in Cl+ form as electrophile.
  • Hence, Chlorine is an Electrophile.

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