Definition of nucleophile, nucleophilic

1. A nucleophile (or nucleophilic reagent) is a reagent that forms a bond to its reaction partner (the electrophile) by donating both bonding electrons.

   A "nucleophilic substitution reaction" is a heterolytic reaction in which the reagent supplying the entering group acts as a nucleophile. For example

   MeO- (nucleophile) + Et-Cl MeOEt + Cl- (nucleofuge)

   The term "nucleophilic" is also used to designate the apparent polar character of certain radicals, as inferred from their higher relative reactivity with reaction sites of lower electron density.

   Nucleophilic reagents are Lewis bases.