Nucleophile
(Redirected from Nucleophilic)
Nucleophile
A Nucleophile is a chemical species that donates an electron pair to an electrophile to form a chemical bond in a reaction. Nucleophiles can be ions (such as the chloride ion, Cl-) or molecules (such as ammonia, NH3). Nucleophiles may take part in nucleophilic substitution reactions, which are of prime importance in organic chemistry.
Characteristics[edit | edit source]
Nucleophiles are characterized by the presence of lone pair of electrons and the ability to form a new bond to a hydrogen ion. The charge on the nucleophile can be negative, neutral or positive. The strength of a nucleophile is not determined by charge but by several factors including: polarizability, charge, and orbital type.
Types of Nucleophiles[edit | edit source]
There are several types of nucleophiles:
- Neutral Nucleophiles: These are nucleophiles which have a neutral charge. They do not have any extra electrons, but they have a lone pair which can be donated. Examples include water, ammonia, and alcohols.
- Anionic Nucleophiles: These are nucleophiles with a negative charge. They have an extra electron which can be donated and are thus very strong nucleophiles. Examples include: hydroxide, alkoxide, and carboxylate ions.
- Cationic Nucleophiles: These are very rare and can be found in certain organic reactions.
Nucleophilicity[edit | edit source]
Nucleophilicity refers to the affinity of a nucleophile towards a positive charge. It is often used to compare the affinity of atoms. It is affected by charge, electronegativity, and polarizability.
Nucleophile vs Base[edit | edit source]
While a nucleophile attacks atoms that are electron deficient, a base attacks atoms that are proton rich. The terms nucleophile and base are often used interchangeably in organic chemistry.
See Also[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
Nucleophile Resources | ||
---|---|---|
|
|
Translate to: East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
Urdu,
বাংলা,
తెలుగు,
தமிழ்,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
русский,
português do Brasil,
Italian,
polski
Navigation: Wellness - Encyclopedia - Health topics - Disease Index - Drugs - World Directory - Gray's Anatomy - Keto diet - Recipes
Search WikiMD
Ad.Tired of being Overweight? Try W8MD's physician weight loss program.
Semaglutide (Ozempic / Wegovy and Tirzepatide (Mounjaro) available.
Advertise on WikiMD
WikiMD is not a substitute for professional medical advice. See full disclaimer.
Credits:Most images are courtesy of Wikimedia commons, and templates Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY SA or similar.
Contributors: Prab R. Tumpati, MD