An electrophile (or electrophilic
reagent) is a
reagent that forms a
bond to its reaction partner (the
nucleophile ) by accepting both bonding electrons from that reaction partner. An '
electrophilic substitution reaction' is a
heterolytic reaction in which the
reagent supplying the
entering group acts as an electrophile. For example:
Electrophilic reagents are
Lewis acids. '
Electrophilic catalysis' is
catalysis by Lewis acids. The term '
electrophilic' is also used to designate the apparent polar character of certain
radicals as inferred from their higher relative reactivities with reaction sites of higher
electron density.
Source:
PAC, 1994, 66, 1077
(Glossary of terms used in physical organic chemistry (IUPAC Recommendations 1994))
on page 1111
