Waiting
Login processing...

Trial ends in Request Full Access Tell Your Colleague About Jove

15.14: Lewis Acids and Bases
INHALTSVERZEICHNIS

JoVE Core
Chemistry

A subscription to JoVE is required to view this content.

Education
Lewis Acids and Bases
 
PROTOKOLLE

15.14: Lewis Acids and Bases

In 1923, G. N. Lewis proposed a generalized definition of acid-base behavior in which acids and bases are identified by their ability to accept or to donate a pair of electrons and form a coordinate covalent bond.

A coordinate covalent bond (or dative bond) occurs when one of the atoms in the bond provides both bonding electrons. For example, a coordinate covalent bond occurs when a water molecule combines with a hydrogen ion to form a hydronium ion. A coordinate covalent bond also results when an ammonia molecule combines with a hydrogen ion to form an ammonium ion. Both of these equations are shown here.

Image1

Reactions involving the formation of coordinate covalent bonds are classified as Lewis acid-base chemistry. The species donating the electron pair that compose the bond is a Lewis base, the species accepting the electron pair is a Lewis acid, and the product of the reaction is a Lewis acid-base adduct. As the two examples above illustrate, Brønsted-Lowry acid-base reactions represent a subcategory of Lewis acid reactions, specifically, those in which the acid species is H+. A few examples involving other Lewis acids and bases are described below.

The boron atom in boron trifluoride, BF3, has only six electrons in its valence shell. Being short of the preferred octet, BF3 is a very good Lewis acid and reacts with many Lewis bases; a fluoride ion is the Lewis base in this reaction, donating one of its lone pairs:

Image2

In the following reaction, each of two ammonia molecules, Lewis bases, donates a pair of electrons to a silver ion, the Lewis acid:

Image3

Nonmetal oxides act as Lewis acids and react with oxide ions, Lewis bases, to form oxyanions:

Image4

Many Lewis acid-base reactions are displacement reactions in which one Lewis base displaces another Lewis base from an acid-base adduct, or in which one Lewis acid displaces another Lewis acid:

Image5

Another type of Lewis acid-base chemistry involves the formation of a complex ion (or a coordination complex) comprising a central atom, typically a transition metal cation, surrounded by ions or molecules called ligands. These ligands can be neutral molecules, like H2O or NH3, or ions, such as CN or OH. Often, the ligands act as Lewis bases, donating a pair of electrons to the central atom.

This text is adapted from Openstax, Chemistry 2e, Section 15.2: Lewis Acids and Bases.

Tags

Lewis Acids Lewis Bases Brønsted-Lowry Model Electron Pairs Proton Donors Proton Acceptors Electron-pair Acceptors Electron-pair Donors Hydrogen Empty Orbital Ionizable Protons Boron Trifluoride Incomplete Octet Lewis Acid-base Adducts Carbon Dioxide

Get cutting-edge science videos from JoVE sent straight to your inbox every month.

Waiting X
Simple Hit Counter