Atom or molecule that contains an electron pair available for bonding and in chemical reactions therefore seeks a positive centre, such as the nucleus of an atom or the positive end of a polar molecule (&see; covalent bond; electric dipole). In the Lewis electron theory (&see; acid-base theory), advanced by the U.S.
chemist Gilbert Lewis (1875–1946) in 1923, nucleophiles are by definition Lewis bases. Examples include the hydroxide ion (OH−), the ions of the halogens chlorine, bromine, and iodine (Cl−, Br−, and I−, respectively), ammonia (NH3), and water (H2O). &Seealso; base; electrophile.
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