Question

justify the statement "All electrophiles are lewis acid​

Answer 1

In principle, since all electrophiles can be electron acceptors, they can usually act as Lewis bases, too. However, sometimes sterically demanding moieties stabilise the electrophile, so that it is impossible to form a Lewis adduct. These compound are then one part of a frustrated Lewis pair.


Lewis acids are electron acceptors, the slight asymmetry in the definition arises because accepting means you have to move electrons into a Lewis acid, i.e. H+ and AlCl3. On the other hand the carbonyl carbon is electrophilic, but when it accepts two electrons, it rejects two others. Hence, it is not a Lewis acid.

Electrophilic - desires electrons Lews Acidis - desires and is able to take on additional electrons