Question

Can a a compound with a lone pair of electrons such as `NH_3` be a nucleophile?

Answer 1

'Nucleophile' means 'nucleus loving' and is any group that attaches to a species with a positive charge, such as `Rb^+`, `Cs^+` or `Fr^+`.

`NH_3` (ammonia) can be a nucleophile, as can other Lewis bases, as they are electron donors. A Lewis base is any compound that reacts with a Lewis acid, such as `H_3C^-`, `H_2N^-` or `H_2Sb^-`. A Lewis acid is any substance that reacts with a Lewis base, such as `Li^+`, `Na^+`, `K^+`, `Rb^+` or `Cs^+`.