INTRODUCTION TO LEWIS ACID-BASE CHEMISTRY

DEFINITIONS

Lewis acids and bases are defined in terms of electron pair transfers. A Lewis base is an electron pair donor, and a Lewis acid is an
electron pair acceptor. An organic transformation (the creation of products from reactants) essentially results from a process of breaking
bonds and forming new ones. This process basically amounts to electron pair transfers. Ionic mechanisms involve electron pair transfers and
are therefore described by the Lewis acid-base theory.

The Lewis definition implies the presence of high electron density centers in Lewis bases, and low electron density centers in Lewis
acids. In a reaction between a Lewis acid and a Lewis base the electron pair donated by the base is used to form a new sigma bond to the
electron deficient center in the acid. The identification of Lewis bases follows basically the same guidelines as the identification of Bronsted
bases. They frequently contain atoms that have nonbonding electrons, or lone pairs. On the other hand, Lewis acids frequently contain atoms
with an incomplete octet, a full positive charge, or a partial positive charge.

Water is an example of a Lewis base. Carbocations are examples of Lewis acids. When water reacts with a carbocation as shown below, one
of the electron pairs from oxygen is used to form a new sigma bond to the central carbon in the carbocation. As with Bronsted acid-base
reactions, curved arrow are used to indicate the movement of electron pairs during the reaction process. The arrow always originates with
the Lewis base and moves towards the area of electron deficiency in the Lewis acid.

H2O +
O
H H
Lewis Lewis Addition
base acid product

To avoid confusion between the Lewis and the Bronsted definitions of acids and bases, Lewis bases are sometimes called nucleophiles,
and Lewis acids are called electrophiles. In the example above, water acts as a nucleophile (donates electrons), and the carbocation acts
as an electrophile (receives electrons).

Since Bronsted acids and bases are a subcategory of the more encompassing Lewis definition, it can be said that most Bronsted bases
are also nucleophiles, and that the proton is a Lewis acid, or an electrophile. There are however some subtle differences to keep in mind.
RECOGNIZING NUCLEOPHILES - For the most part, the same criteria used for identifying Bronsted bases can also be used to identify
nucleophiles. Here is a summary.

1. The most common type of nucleophiles are those containing atoms with unshared electron pairs, such as the following.

H2O OH NH3 RNH2 CN

Notice that nonbonding electrons are frequently omitted from formulas. Always remember their presence on oxygen, nitrogen, and negatively
charged carbon atoms.

2. A negatively charged species is usually a stronger nucleophile or base than its neutral analog. Thus, hydroxide ion is stronger, both as a
base and as a nucleophile, than water.

3. Carbon bonded to a metal has strong negative character, revealed when writing resonance structures. The carbon atom in such molecules
is considered a strong nucleophile. Recall the structures of n-butyllithium and Grignard (organomagnesium) reagents from previous notes.

4. The pi bond is a region of high electron density. Pi bonds are not as strong as sigma bonds, which means that pi electrons are more available
for reactions because pi bonds ore more easily broken. Molecules containing pi bonds are considered weak nucleophiles or bases, because
they can react with strong acids or electrophiles. See examples under Bronsted acid-base chemistry.

5. Periodic trends in nucleophilicity are such that, other factors being similar, nucleophilicity increases from right to left across the same row,
and from top to bottom across the same period or group. Make a note that this trend is different from the basicity trend, which increases in
the same way across a row, but from bottom to top within a period.

Nucleophilicity trends

Basicity trend Same row OH > F and NH3 > H2O Nucleophilicity trend

PERIODIC TABLE Same group I > Br > Cl > F and CH3S > CH3O PERIODIC TABLE

6. Basic vs. nucleophilic behavior. There are some differences between Bronsted bases and nucleophiles. First, the term base is reserved
for substances seeking acidic protons, whereas the term nucleophile is used for substances seeking electron-deficient centers, be they protons
or other atoms (most commonly carbon).
Second, in acid-base reactions the size (or bulk) of the base seldom matters. In nucleophilic reactions, the size of the nucleophile can be
an important (steric) factor. Smaller is more effective. Thus, although the nucleophilic atom in the two species below is the same (oxygen)
and they have similar structures, methoxide ion is a more effective nucleophile than t-butoxide ion, even though they are about equally effective
as bases. The larger t-butoxide ion has more difficulty reaching an electrophilic center, which is typically a carbon buried at the core of the
molecular structure. That is not a problem when it acts as a base because acidic protons usually lie in the periphery of the molecule and are
easily accessible.
CH3
CH3O H3C O
CH3

methoxide ion t-butoxide ion

smaller ion, larger ion,
better nucleophile poorer nucleophile

RECOGNIZING ELECTROPHILES -There are two requirements for a molecule to be considered a good electrophile. First, it must
contain an electrophilic center or atom. Second, the electrophilic atom must be able to accommodate a new sigma bond. Please keep
in mind the difference between electrophile and electrophilic center. The term electrophile refers to the molecule. The term electrophilic center
refers to the particular part of the molecule susceptible to nucleophilic attack.

To avoid confusion, the term substrate is frequently used in reference to electrophiles. This term denotes a molecule being acted upon by
another agent. For example, an enzyme substrate is a molecule being modified by an enzyme. Likewise, an electrophile can be thought of
as the substrate of a nucleophile when the latter attacks its electrophilic center.

Electrophilic centers are areas of low electron density. Most often they are atoms which (a) contain an incomplete octet, and/or (b) carry
a full or a partial positive charge. A partial positive charge can be revealed by writing resonance structures, or by identifying a polar bond.

1. The following are examples of electrophiles containing atoms with incomplete octets:

F Cl Br R

B Al Fe
H F F Cl Cl Br Br R R
proton Molecules containing group III carbocations
elements or transition metals
2.These are examples of electrophiles containing atoms with partial positive charges:

H
O O +
Cl
+ H
R R R R H

3. Atoms of the second row like oxygen and nitrogen, which are more electronegative than carbon, seldom act as electrophilic centers, even
if they carry a positive charge. In that situation they seek to lessen their positive character by sharing the charge with adjacent atoms, causing
them go become acidic (protons) or electrophilic (carbon for instance). Resonance structures can reveal this shift of positive charge.
H
H
H H
N H
H N H
O H
O H H H
H H H
Hydronium ion, pK a ~ 1.7 Ammonium ion, pK a ~ 9

The ammonium and hydronium ions are of moderate to high acidity because the highly electronegative
oxygen and nitrogen seek to transfer their positive charge to the adjacent proton, making it acidic.
In addition, those atoms cannot accomodate another bond without violating the octet rule.

RCH 2 OH 2 RCH 2 H 2O

In addition to making the protons acidic, a positive charge on oxygen can also make the
adjacent carbon electrophilic by a similar transfer of positive character. Moreover, the
oxygen atom becomes part of a good leaving group, in this case water. The stage is set
for either a nucleophilic attack on carbon, or a reaction with a Bronsted base.

R CH2 O + B R CH2 O H + B H

The reaction with a base (B-) is an equilibrium process that normally

has a low activation energy and is therefore relatively fast.
 Nu + R CH2 OH2 R CH2 Nu + H2O

The reaction with a nucleophile (Nu-) is a kinetic process that normally has
a higher activation energy than a proton transfer and is therefore slower.
If the nucleophile being used is also a good base, it will prefer to take the proton.

An example of the above is the reaction of protonated n-butanol with either bromide ion or ammonia. Bromide ion is one of the best nucleophiles,
but a weak base. It prefers to act as a nucleophile. Ammonia is a moderately good nucleophile but also a good base. Given the choice, it
prefers to act as a base.

OH2 + Br HBr + OH

protonated n-butanol stronger n-butanol

(weaker acid) acid

acid-base equilibrium favors the left side because bromide ion is a weak base

+ Br + H2O
OH2 Br

Bromide ion is an effective nucleophile, preferring to attack the electrophilic carbon displacing the
water

OH2 + NH3 NH4 + OH

weaker
protonated n-butanol n-butanol
acid
(stronger acid)

Ammonia is a weak nucleophile and a moderate base. As long as it can act as a base,
it will prefer to do so rather than engaging in a higher energy nucleophilic displacement.
4. Unlike their second row counterparts, some electronegative elements of the third row such as sulfur and phosphorus can sometimes act
as electrophilic centers due to their larger size and the ability to accommodate a new sigma bond using their d-orbitals:

O O O
O
S Cl
+ +
S H3C O
H3C OH Cl Cl Cl
H

Unlike oxygen, sulfur can be electrophilic because it can accommodate

a new sigma bond using its d-orbitals without violating the octet rule.

REACTIONS BETWEEN NUCLEOPHILES AND ELECTROPHILES - As mentioned earlier, a good electrophile must be able
to accommodate a new sigma bond between its electrophilic center and the nucleophile. When the electrophilic center is an atom with an
incomplete octet, this is no problem.
F
F

H3N + B F B F H2O +
F F
OH2
NH3

For electrophiles containing polarized pi bonds such as carbonyl groups, at least one resonance form shows an atom with an incomplete octet.

O O
+ resonance forms of acetone
H3C CH3 H3C CH3

You can use either resonance structure to write the reaction between the nucleophile and the electrophile. The following are acceptable
representations of a nucleophilic attack of hydroxide ion on acetone, but the second one makes it more apparent that the central carbon can
take the extra bond.

O O
+
H3C CH3
OH + H3C CH3
OH
Two acceptable representations of the nucleophilic attack of
hydroxide ion on acetone using different resonance structures.

O O

H3C CH3
OH + H3C CH3
OH

Sometimes the substrate has an electrophilic atom which is sp3-hybridized and already has a complete octet. In this case there are no pi
electrons to displace as the new s-bond forms. The nucleophile must displace another group as it bonds to the electrophile. The displaced
group is called a leaving group. The leaving group can be displaced only if it leaves as a weak base, because weak bases are stable molecules
that can take the electrons with them. In the following example, hydroxide ion is the attacking nucleophile. As it bonds to the sp3 electrophilic
carbon, it must displace another group. The leaving group in this case is the bromine atom. It is a good leaving group because it leaves as
bromide ion, which is a weak base and can take the electrons with it.

H
H H
+
HO + C Br
HO C Br HO C + Br
H H
H H
H H
As OH- attacks, something must leave. Transition state Nucleophilic Weak base
Bromine acts as the leaving group here. substitution product

The reverse reaction, however, could not happen. Although bromide is a good nucleophile and methyl alcohol contains an electron deficient
center (the carbon bonded to oxygen), the molecule does not contain a good leaving group. Hydroxide ion is a strong base, therefore it cannot
be displaced by bromide.
 H
H
+
Br + H
H
C OH
X Br C

H
H
+ OH

Strong base, poor

leaving group

Although the hydroxide ion is not a good leaving group, it is possible to do nucleophilic displacements on alcohols by protonating them with
acid first. The protonated hydroxyl group is a potential water molecule, which is a weak base and therefore a good leaving group.

+
H3O Nu
OH OH2
(nucleophile) Nu + H2O

poor leaving group good leaving group weak base

This approach has limitations. The most important is that the nucleophile must be a weak base, or it will prefer to react with the acidic protons.
For all practical purposes, the only nucleophiles that can be used in this way are chloride and bromide ions. But this provides a good way to
convert alcohols into primary, secondary, or tertiary chlorides and bromides.

HBr
-
OH OH2 + Br
Br + H2O

HCl
-
OH OH2 + Cl
Cl + H2O

Notice that in these case the reverse reaction can happen. Water is a good nucleophile and chloride and bromide are good leaving groups.
One must isolate the product as it forms to keep it from reacting with water and go back to alcohol.