Hi, does anyone know the difference between a nucleophile and a ligand?
Thanks.
Electrophile - species that is an electron pair acceptor. Used in radical substitution, electrophilic addition, electrophilic substitution Nucleophile - species that is an electron pair donor. Used in nucleophilic substitution, nucleophilic addition Ligand - species that donates lone pair electrons (electron pair donor) to central metal ion, forming dative bond.
I can see the confusion - as both involve a lone pair of electrons - but it is what is happening to the lone pair of electrons, so the context to the atom/molecule