Analyze the following list of chemical species: , , , , , , , . How many of these explicitly listed — GOC and Organic Chemistry Basics Chemistry Question
Question
Analyze the following list of chemical species: $H_2O$, $BF_3$, $NH_3$, $AlCl_3$, $CN^-$, $SO_3$, $NO_2^+$, $ROH$. How many of these explicitly listed species act strictly as electrophiles?
Answer: 4
💡 Solution & Explanation
The electrophiles in the list are: $BF_3$ (incomplete octet), $AlCl_3$ (incomplete octet), $SO_3$ (neutral electrophile), and $NO_2^+$ (positively charged). The other species ($H_2O$, $NH_3$, $CN^-$, $ROH$) have lone pairs or negative charges and act as nucleophiles.
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