https://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.N04249
A nucleophile (or nucleophilic
reagent
) is a
reagent
that forms a bond to its reaction partner (the
electrophile
) by donating both bonding electrons. A 'nucleophilic
substitution reaction
' is a
heterolytic
reaction in which the
reagent
supplying the
entering group
acts as a nucleophile. For example:
The term 'nucleophilic' is also used to designate the apparent polar character of certain
radicals
, as inferred from their higher relative reactivity with reaction sites of lower
electron density
. Nucleophilic reagents are
Lewis bases
.
Source:
PAC, 1994, 66, 1077. (Glossary of terms used in physical organic chemistry (IUPAC Recommendations 1994)) on page 1146 [Terms] [Paper]