Question: Identify the nucleophile and the electrophile in the following acid–base reactions:

An electrophile is a species that lacks electrons.

"Electrophile" literally translates to "electron loving" (phile is the Greek suffix for "loving"). An electrophile is someone who seeks out a pair of electrons. Electrophiles are easily identifiable because they have a positive charge, a partial positive charge, or an incomplete octet that can accept electrons.

H⁺is an electrophile because it has a positive charge

A nucleophile is an electron-rich species.

A nucleophile is a non-hydrogen atom that bonds to an electron donor (having an electron pair available for bonding). A base is a hydrogen-bonding electron donor. The alterations that occur when bases or nucleophiles interact are extensive and diverse.

The following compounds are nucleophiles because-