Nucleophilicity

Nucleophilicity describes the inherent ‘love’ of a chemical species – a nucleophile – for a positive charge or an electron-deficient site. It quantifies the molecule’s ability to donate a pair of electrons to form a new covalent bond, typically with a carbon atom acting as an electrophile. Essentially, a more nucleophilic species possesses a stronger affinity for positive charges, driving its reaction with electron-deficient partners.