Question

Which of the following is an electrophile?

• A. $H_{2}O$
• B. $N{H}_3$
• C. $AlC{l}_3$
• D. $C_2{H}_{5}N{H}_2$

Answer 1

Answer: (C)

Electrophile Those species which are deficient in electron or which can accept the pair of electron are called electrophile. They are either positively charged or neutral molecule. They are also called Lewis acid.
Example
$H^{+},H_3{O}^{+},N{O}_2^{+},S{O}_3,B{F}_3,AlC{l}_3$, etc.
Nucleophile Those species which are rich in electron or which can donate a pair of electron are called nucleophile. They are also called Lewis base. They are either negatively charged or neutral molecule.
Example

$AlC{l}_3$ is a electrophile because in the $AlC{l}_3$ molecule the central atom is present with incomplete octet. It is electron deficient.

While $H_{2}O,N{H}_3$ and $C_2{H}_{5}N{H}_2$ are nucleophile because in these molecules one of the atom has got at least one lone pair of electrons.