Revision: Chapter 5

Question 1

What is a nucleophile?

Answer 1

electron donator

Question 2

What is an electrophile?

Answer 2

electron acceptor

Question 3

What are the requirements for a reaction to occur?

Answer 3

1.overcome their electronic repulsion by charge attraction and/or orbital overlap
2. have orbitals of appropriate energy to interact— a filled orbital on the nucleophile and an empty orbital on the electrophile
3.approach each other such that these orbitals can overlap to form a bonding interaction.

Question 4

What is the best nucleophile?

Answer 4

They have high energy occupied molecular orbitals

Question 5

What is the best electrophile?

Answer 5

They have low energy unoccupied molecular orbitals

Question 6

How can you identify a nucleophile?

Answer 6

1. often have non-bonding lone pair of electrons
2. anions with lone pairs are good as well. 3. The most important carbon nucleophile is cyanide
3. simple alkenes can react with strong electrophiles
4. borohydrides

Question 7

How can you identify an electrophile?

Answer 7

1. Hydrogen cation
2. molecules which make good electrophiles might have a double or a single bond to an electronegative atom such as O, N, Cl, or Br.

Question 8

What does the curly arrow represent?

Answer 8

Movement of a pair of electrons. Arrow can start at a lone pair, a negative charge or a bond