Describe the interaction between a donor atom and a metal atom in terms of a Lewis acid-base reaction.

Short Answer

Expert verified
In a Lewis acid-base reaction, the donor atom (Lewis base) donates an electron pair to the metal atom (Lewis acid) forming a coordinate covalent bond between them.

Step by step solution

01

Understand Lewis Acid-Base Reaction

According to Lewis theory, a Lewis acid is a compound that can accept a pair of electrons from another species to form a coordinate covalent bond with it, while a Lewis base is a compound that donates a pair of electrons. Thus, in terms of Lewis acid-base reaction, donor atom refers to Lewis base, while metal atom refers to Lewis acid.
02

Interaction between Donor Atom and Metal Atom

The interaction between the donor atom (Lewis base) and a metal atom (Lewis acid) can be understood as a Lewis acid-base reaction. In this reaction, the donor atom donates an electron pair to the metal atom. This phenomenon is called a coordinate covalent bond.
03

Final Reaction

So, to summarise, a Lewis acid-base reaction involves the transfer of an electron pair from a Lewis base (the electron pair donor) to a Lewis acid (the electron pair acceptor). The interactions between these atoms where one is able to give electrons (donor atom) and the other wants to accept electrons (metal atom) leads to the formation of a stable bond between them.

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