Can #NH_3#; #Br_2#; #CH_3OH#; #NH_2OH# be considered an electrophilic reagents?

Question

Paisley Boney · Accepted Answer

All of them can be considered as electrophiles.

A species that takes up two electrons to create a new covalent bond is known as an electrophile. This is also how a Lewis acid is defined! The appropriate responses would be # underbrace("NH"_3)_(color(blue)("electrophile/acid"))+ underbrace ("B"^-)_(color(blue)("nucleophile/base")) → "H"_2"N"^"-" +"H-B"# #underbrace ("NH"_3)_(color(blue)("electrophile/acid")) + underbrace ("B"^"-")_(color(blue)("nucleophile/base")) → "H"_2"N"^"-" +"HB"# #underbrace("CH"_3"OH")_(color(blue)("electrophile/acid")) + underbrace("B"^"-")_(color(blue)("nucleophile/base")) → "CH"_3"O"^"-" + "HB"# But in the first step in the addition of #"Br"_2# to alkenes, the #"Br"_2# acts as an electrophile acid. #underbrace("H"_2"C=CH"_2) _(color(blue)("electrophile/acid")) + underbrace("Br"_2)_(color(blue)("nucleophile/base")) → "H"_2stackrel(+)("C")"-CH"_2"Br" + "Br"^-#

Carter Allen · Answer

undefined No, NH₃, Br₂, CH₃OH, and NH₂OH cannot be considered electrophilic reagents. These compounds are not electrophilic because they do not have a deficiency of electrons or a positive charge, which are characteristics of electrophiles. Instead, they either have lone pairs of electrons (NH₃, CH₃OH, and NH₂OH) or are composed of two atoms sharing electrons equally (Br₂). Electrophilic reagents are molecules or ions that are electron-deficient and seek to accept or share electrons with a nucleophile.