https://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.N04249
A nucleophile (or nucleophilic
The term 'nucleophilic' is also used to designate the apparent polar character of certain
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: ![Not defined](/img/inline/N04249.png)
radicals
, as inferred from their higher relative reactivity with reaction sites of lower electron density
. Nucleophilic reagents are Lewis bases
.