Organic Chemistry Chapter 2: Acids and Bases

Flashcards covering key vocabulary and concepts from the Organic Chemistry Chapter 2 Lecture on Acids and Bases.

Brønsted-Lowry acid

A proton donor; it must contain a hydrogen atom.

Brønsted-Lowry base

A proton acceptor; it must be able to form a bond to a proton.

Conjugate acid of a base

Formed when the base B: forms a new bond to the proton of the acid.

Conjugate base of an acid

Formed when the acid H-A loses a proton, leaving the electron pair in the H-A bond on A.

Electron-rich species

Species that react with electron-deficient species; bases are electron rich

Electron-deficient species

Acids are electron deficient; the H of an acid has a partial positive charge.

Acid strength

The tendency of an acid to donate a proton.

pKa

Used to describe acid strength; the smaller the pKa, the stronger the acid.

Equilibrium in Acid-Base Reactions

Favors formation of the weaker acid and base (higher pKa).

Factors that affect the acidity of H-A

Element effects, inductive effects, resonance effects, hybridization effects.

Inductive effect

The pull of electron density through σ bonds caused by electronegativity differences of atoms.

Lewis base

An electron pair donor; structurally the same as Brønsted -Lowry bases.

Lewis acid

An electron pair acceptor; any species that is electron deficient and capable of accepting an electron pair.

Electrophile

A Lewis acid, an electron-poor species.

Nucleophile

A Lewis base that reacts with an electrophile other than a proton; an electron-rich species.