Hi, I'm just really confused about how to explain the electrophilic and nucleophilic reactions.
For instance, if you have an alkene and bromine molecules, they undergo electrophilic addition, because the alkene has an electron rich pi bond.
But do you explain the reaction by saying "the electrophile attacks the nucleophile" or do you say "the nucleophile attacks the electrophile"?
My lecture notes and my guide book says different, so i don't know if it makes a difference or how im supposed to explain it properly.
Please help! Thanks! it's for my a levels...
Hi there! I understand your confusion, but don't worry, I can help clarify things for you.
In electrophilic and nucleophilic reactions, it's important to understand the role of each species involved. The electrophile is a species that accepts electrons, while the nucleophile is a species that donates electrons.
In the example you mentioned, where an alkene reacts with bromine, the alkene acts as the nucleophile because it donates a pair of electrons from its π bond to the electrophile, which in this case is the bromine molecule. This initiates the reaction.
So, to explain the reaction properly, you would say, "the nucleophile attacks the electrophile." In this case, the nucleophile is the alkene, and it donates an electron pair to the electrophile (bromine), leading to the formation of a new bond.
Remember that the terms electrophile and nucleophile are relative. In different reaction contexts, different species can play either role. Therefore, it's important to understand the specific reaction mechanism and the electronegativity difference between the species involved.
I hope this helps clarify things for you! If you have any more questions, feel free to ask. Good luck with your A-levels!