ERIC Number: EJ960356
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2011-Dec
Pages: 7
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0021-9584
EISSN: N/A
An Overview of Lewis Basicity and Affinity Scales
Laurence, Christian; Graton, Jerome; Gal, Jean-Francois
Journal of Chemical Education, v88 n12 p1651-1657 Dec 2011
The impossibility of establishing a universal scale of Lewis basicity does not prevent the determination of the quantitative behavior of Lewis bases, thanks to scales constructed against particular Lewis acids: BF[subscript 3], 4-FC[subscript 6]H[subscript 4]OH, I[subscript 2], Li[superscript +], Na[superscript +], K[superscript +], Al[superscript +], Mn[superscript +], CpNi[superscript +], and CH[subscript 3]NH[subscript 3][superscript +]. These scales encompass important types of bonds formed in a Lewis acid-base adduct: the dative bond, the conventional and ionic hydrogen bonds, the halogen bond and cation-molecule bonds for metal cations of groups 1, 7, 10, 11, and 13. Moreover, although these scales are generally not interrelated, there exist family-dependent relationships that permit ranking, in a rather general order, of bases belonging to a given chemical family, for example, the family of oxygen bases. Therefore, the skepticism about the quantitative usefulness of the Lewis concept of acids and bases is no longer founded. (Contains 5 figures.)
Descriptors: Chemistry, Undergraduate Students, Science Education, Interaction, Scientific Concepts, Data Analysis, Science Instruction, Textbooks, Science Teachers
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
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