Question

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

Answer 1

All of them can be considered as electrophiles.

Explanation:

An electrophile is a species that accepts a pair of electrons to form a new covalent bond.

This is also the definition of a Lewis acid!

The corresponding reactions 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"^-`