Question

What is electrophile and nucleophile?

Answer 1

Electrophile

1. Electrophiles are positively charged or can be neutral species (electron-deficient molecules) that have vacant orbitals. Electrophiles can accept pairs of electrons.
2. They are electron deficient and they pull electrons towards it.
3. They attack electron-rich centers such as $\mathrm{C}=\mathrm{C}$ double bonds.
4. Also known as Lewis acid as they can accept electrons.
5. The reactions like Electrophilic substitution and addition reaction are carried out by electrophiles.
6. Some examples of Electrophiles are ${\mathrm{H}}^{+},{\mathrm{NH}}_4^{+},{\mathrm{CH}}_3^{+}$.

Nucleophile

1. A nucleophile is a species that is nucleus loving and donates its electrons.
2. A nucleophile is generally negatively charged or sometimes neutral with a lone pair of electrons.
3. Example-${\mathrm{H}}_2\mathrm{O},-\mathrm{OMe},-\mathrm{OtBu}$.
4. Nucleophile is an electron-rich species.
5. As Nucleophiles can donate their pair of electrons and hence we can call them a Lewis Base.
6. Nucleophiles generally undergo Nucleophilic substitution and nucleophilic addition reactions.