Which of the following is not an electrophile? How is this determined?

NO+2
BF3
CH2=CH2
H+

1 Answer
Jul 18, 2016

"Electrophiles are positively charged or neutral species having vacant orbitals that are attracted to an electron rich centre. It participates in a chemical reaction by accepting an electron pair in order to bond to a nucleophile"

On the basis of above definition given in the net we can judge which one of the given species is not an eletrophile.

NO+2andH+positively charged so attracted towards ngatively charged centers and hence they are charged electrophiles.

BF3 A neutral molecule but the valence shell of its central atom B is not completely fulfilled.This electron deficiency makes it an electrophile.

CH2=CH2 is neutral molecule but it has got π-bond.So this molecule is capable of donating eletron.Hence does not act as an electrophile.