Acids and Bases in Reactive Aprotic Solvents

The term autoionization (but not autoprotolysis) may be applied to reactions of certain aprotic solvents, for example. 

the ion transferred is Cl , rather than H+. Addition of a strong Lewis acid to such a solvent will result in the appearance in solution of the characteristic positive ion of the solvent. Addition of a base will yield the negative ion. Again, aprotic solvents may be leveling toward acids stronger than the characteristic acid ion of the solvent or, mutatis mutandis, toward bases. It will be seen that this is consistent with the picture based on the proton. 

Generally, bases are recognized by their ability to provide negative charge in the form of actual negative ions or of electron pairs to be shared. Acids are recognized by their ability to provide positive charge or to accept shared electron pairs. In the context of reaction kinetics and mechanisms, a base is termed a nucleophile, and a Lewis acid an electrophile. 

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