Question

Is Chlorine an Electrophile?

Answer 1

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.