Lewis bases as nucleophiles

Organic chemists commonly refer to Lewis acids as electrophiles and Lewis bases as nucleophiles. A classic example of a Lewis acid-base reaction involves BF3 and NH3. The ammonia has a lone pair that can donate to the empty p orbital of the BF3. In this reaction, the BFj is the Lewis acid and NH3 is the Lewis base. This results in the formation of a covalent bond between them. 

Organic chemists refer to Lewis acids as electrophiles because they are attracted to electron-rich sites on other molecules, and they refer to Lewis bases as nucleophiles because they are attracted to electron-deficient molecular sites. Ingold (1969) developed a classification of reaction mechanisms based on this idea and this classification is the foundation for modeling the mechanisms of organic reactions (Bruckner, 2002 Grossman, 1999). Casey (2001) and Casey and Swaddle (2003) adapted some of these principles to apply to the dissolution of oxides. The electron-rich, and therefore nucleophilic, sites on molecules are nicely visualized using the electron localization function (Gibbs et al, 2005). 

Reaction 9 represents the reaction between a carbonyl compound, perhaps part of a polymer chain, and a cation on a substrate surface this is the kind of reaction that might occur at some interfaces in adhesive bonds. The oxygen atom of the carbonyl group donates a non-bonding electron pair, this time into a vacant orbital in the metal ion, so, again it is a Lewis acid-base reaction. Lewis acids are also known as electrophiles, Lewis bases as nucleophiles. 

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See also in sourсe #XX -- [ ]

See also in sourсe #XX -- [ ]

See also in sourсe #XX -- [ , ]

See also in sourсe #XX -- [ ]

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