Solution Found!
Solution: Identify the electrophile and the nucleophile in
Chapter 5, Problem 16P(choose chapter or problem)
Identify the nucleophile and the electrophile in the following acid–base reactions:
a. \(\mathrm{AlCl}_3+\mathrm{NH}_3 \rightleftharpoons \mathrm{Cl}_3 \overline{\mathrm{A}} \mathrm{l}-\mathrm{NH}_3\)
b. \(\mathrm{H}-\mathrm{Br}+\mathrm{HO}^{-} \rightleftharpoons \mathrm{Br}^{-}+\mathrm{H}_2 \mathrm{O}\)
Questions & Answers
QUESTION:
Identify the nucleophile and the electrophile in the following acid–base reactions:
a. \(\mathrm{AlCl}_3+\mathrm{NH}_3 \rightleftharpoons \mathrm{Cl}_3 \overline{\mathrm{A}} \mathrm{l}-\mathrm{NH}_3\)
b. \(\mathrm{H}-\mathrm{Br}+\mathrm{HO}^{-} \rightleftharpoons \mathrm{Br}^{-}+\mathrm{H}_2 \mathrm{O}\)
ANSWER:Solution:
Here we have to identify the electrophile and nucleophile in the following acid-base reaction.
Electrophile and Nucleophile:-
An electrophile is an electron-deficient atom i.e it can accept electron and a nucleophile is an electron-rich atom i.e it can donate electron.
Step 1
a.
In this acid base reaction, the N-atom of NH3 has lone pair electron that means it is an electron rich molecule and the Al atom in AlCl3 is an electron deficient atom having 3 electrons in its valence shell. Hence the electron rich N atom can donate its pair of electron to the Al-atom and act as nucleophile, whereas the Al-atom will act as an electrophile.
In this acid base reaction AlCl3 is the electrophile and NH3 is the nucleophile.