CO2 as a lewis acid

[Zoe Kaiser]

I've read a few descriptions of why CO2 is a lewis acid, but I don't understand why the lone pairs on the oxygens don't make it act as a lewis base as well?

[PranavKetharam]

I've read a few descriptions of why CO2 is a lewis acid, but I don't understand why the lone pairs on the oxygens don't make it act as a lewis base as well?

Since a Lewis acid accepts a pair of electrons and CO2 is a polar molecule with Carbon having a slight positive charge, CO2 is considered a Lewis acid.

[Jessica Wouters 2B]

Hi,
I think the reason why CO2 does not act as a Lewis base as well is because the lone pairs on the oxygen are strongly bound to the central carbon. The two oxygens are more electronegative than the carbon, so carbon has a partial negative charge and therefore would be willing to accept electrons. However, the C-O double bonds that create stability in the molecule make donating a lone pair unfavorable.