General Chemistry Interview Question:

What is the difference between base & nucleophile?

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A lewis base is a proton acceptor. these can be good
nucleophiles for a reaction if they are not too big and
bulky. if they are too big, they can't attack the
electrophile and you will probably get an E type rxn
instead of an SN type rxn. A nucleophile is any electron
rich molecule. This can be a lewis base or it can be
another species such as a carbanion
Submitted by: Administrator