Question

Which of the following is a neutral electrophile?

• A.
• B.
• C.
• D.

Answer 1

Answer: (C), (D)

The correct options are
C

D

Electrophilic reagent or electrophile:A psitively charged species or neutral molecule with electron-deficient centre.

They act as Lewis acids, e.g.,

$\stackrel{\oplus }{H},\stackrel{.}{B}\stackrel{\oplus }{r},C\stackrel{\oplus }{l},\stackrel{\oplus }{l}\stackrel{\oplus }{N}{O}_2{R}_3\stackrel{\oplus }{C},H_3,\stackrel{\oplus }{O},\stackrel{\oplus }{N}{H}_4,\stackrel{\oplus }{N}O,R\stackrel{\oplus }{N}=N,$

$S{O}_3,B{F}_3,AlC{l}_3,ZnC{l}_2,FeC{l}_3,RCOCl,\left(RCO{)}_{2}O\right(anhydride).$
Electrophiles
It can be classified into two categories:
a) Charged electrophiles$E^{\oplus }$
b) Neutral electrophiles (E)
a) Charged electrophiles:Positively charged species in which central aotm has incomplete octet is charged electrophile

$H^{\oplus },X^{\oplus },N_{\stackrel{}{{\searrow }_O}}^{\underset{}{/{/}^O}},\underset{..}{\stackrel{\oplus }{H}}=O,\stackrel{\oplus }{S}{O}_{3}H$

Note: All cation are charged electrophiles except cations of IA,IIA group elements,$A{l}^{+++}$ and $\stackrel{\oplus }{N}{H}_{4-}$

b) Neutral electrophiles: It can be classified into three categories:

i) Neutral covalent compound in which central atom has incomplete octet is neutral electrophile.
ii) Neutral covalent compound in which central atom is bonded only with two or more than two electronegative atoms is neutral electrophile
iii) Neutral covalent compound in which central atom is bonded only with two or more than two electronegative atoms is neutral electrophile.