ELECTROPHILE Meaning and
Definition
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Electrophile is a term used in chemistry to describe a molecule, ion, or atom that seeks and attracts electrons (negatively charged particles). An electrophile has a deficiency or partial positive charge on one or more atoms, making it an electron-deficient species. It is primarily an acceptor of an electron pair during chemical reactions. Electrophiles are fundamental in many chemical processes, such as nucleophilic substitution, addition reactions, and electrophilic aromatic substitution.
In a nucleophilic substitution reaction, an electrophile replaces an existing group or atom by attacking and bonding with the nucleophile (electron-rich species). The electrophile draws the electron pair from the nucleophile, forming a new bond and leaving the nucleophile with a positive charge. Similarly, in addition reactions, an electrophile reacts with an electron-rich species, forming a new bond and rearranging the molecular structure. Electrophilic aromatic substitution occurs when an electrophile replaces one of the hydrogen atoms in an aromatic compound, allowing the electron-deficient electrophile to bond with the electron-rich benzene ring.
Overall, an electrophile is characterized by its tendency to undergo reactions by accepting electrons from nucleophiles or electron-rich compounds. This ability to attract electrons enables electrophiles to initiate numerous chemical reactions, facilitating the formation of new chemical bonds.
Common Misspellings for ELECTROPHILE
- wlectrophile
- slectrophile
- dlectrophile
- rlectrophile
- 4lectrophile
- 3lectrophile
- ekectrophile
- epectrophile
- eoectrophile
- elwctrophile
- elsctrophile
- eldctrophile
- elrctrophile
- el4ctrophile
- el3ctrophile
- elextrophile
- elevtrophile
- eleftrophile
- eledtrophile
- elecrrophile
Etymology of ELECTROPHILE
The word "electrophile" comes from the combination of two Greek roots: "electro", meaning "amber" or "electricity", and "phile", meaning "loving" or "attraction to". The term was first coined by the British chemist Christopher Kelk Ingold in 1933 to describe chemical species that are attracted to electron-rich centers and seek to accept or share electrons in a chemical reaction. Thus, "electrophile" refers to a molecule or atom with an affinity for electron pairs.
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