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Electrophilic Addition Reactions

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Electrophilic addition is a reaction between an electrophile and nucleophile, adding to double or triple bonds. An electrophile is defined by a molecule with a tendency to react with other molecules containing a donatable pair of electrons. Thus, it is an "electron lover." A nucleophile is one that possesses a lone pair of electrons that can be easily shared. In essence, all nucleophiles are Lewis bases that attack nonhydrogen atoms (Lewis acids).

  • Reactions of Alkenes with Bromine
    This page gives you the facts and a simple, uncluttered mechanism for the electrophilic addition reactions between bromine (and the other halogens) and alkenes like ethene and cyclohexene
  • Reactions of Alkenes with Hydrogen Halides
    This page gives you the facts and a simple, uncluttered mechanism for the electrophilic addition reactions between the hydrogen halides and alkenes like ethene and cyclohexene. Hydrogen halides include hydrogen chloride and hydrogen bromide.
  • Reactions of Alkenes with Sulfuric Acid
    This page gives you the facts and a simple, uncluttered mechanism for the electrophilic addition reactions between sulfuric acid and alkenes like ethene and cyclohexene.
  • The Generalized Electrophilic Addition
    Electrophilic addition is a reaction between an electrophile and nucleophile, adding to double or triple bonds. An electrophile is defined by a molecule with a tendency to react with other molecules containing a donatable pair of electrons. Thus, it is an "electron lover." A nucleophile is one that possesses a lone pair of electrons that can be easily shared. In essence, all nucleophiles are Lewis bases that attack nonhydrogen atoms (Lewis acids).
  • What is Electrophilic Addition?
    Electrophilic addition happens in many of the reactions of compounds containing carbon-carbon double bonds - the alkenes.


This page titled Electrophilic Addition Reactions is shared under a CC BY-NC 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Jim Clark.

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