General Organic Chemistry
10.0 Electrophiles
10.0 Electrophiles
Electrophiles mean electron loving species. Electrophiles are electron-deficient species and tend to attack substrate at a site of high electron density. They may be natural species as exemplified by Lewis acid (such as $BF_3$, $AlCl_3$, $ZnCl_2$), carbene and carbocations.
Classification of electrophiles:
(a) Species having positive charge
(b) Neutral species having vacant p-orbitals
(c) Species having vacant d-orbital
(d) Species having low lying $\sigma -$ antibonding molecular orbital.
(e) $\pi -$ bonding molecule
(f) Elements in their atomic state
