Nucleophiles

[RaquelLopez_1L]

When determining the strength of nucleophiles, does it depend on polarization or is there some other way of determing which nucleophile is stronger?

[ConnieDo3I]

I think you can also count the number of lone pairs. The more lone pairs, the stronger the nucleophile (because it has more electrons).

Hope this helps!

[Gabrielle Schwab 1G]

Yes I believe you look at the number of lone pairs when this number is different between two species. However, if they have the same number of lone pairs, then you would look at polarizability.

[Leena Tran 2K]

Nucleophilic strength decreases going across a period.
e.g. R3C- > R2N- >RO- > F-

It increases going down a group, due to the polarizability effect.
e.g. F- < Cl- < Br- < I-

[SubparChemist]

Do lone pairs take priority over relative position on periodic table?

For example, would an element with less polarizability still be more nucleophilic than an element one down its column if it had more lone pairs?

[ConnieDo3I]

I think that elements in the same group (column) would have the same number of valence electrons and, therefore, the same number of lone pairs, if any.