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

NO_2^+
BF_3
CH_2=CH_2
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_2^+ and H^+ "positively charged" so attracted towards ngatively charged centers and hence they are charged electrophiles.

BF_3-> A neutral molecule but the valence shell of its central atom B is not completely fulfilled.This electron deficiency makes it an electrophile.

CH_2=CH_2 is neutral molecule but it has got pi-bond.So this molecule is capable of donating eletron.Hence does not act as an electrophile.