Radicals | Electrophiles |
|---|---|
Free Radicals are the by-product of homolytic bond cleavage. | Electrophiles are the by-product of heterolytic bond cleavage. |
The two-electron bond breaks in half, dividing the electrons equally between the two atoms to form two free radicals. Therefore, free radicals are atoms or molecules carrying a single electron. | The two-electron bond breaks unequally so that two electrons reside on one atom. The atom that lost both electrons of the bond is the electrophile. Therefore, the electrophiles are devoid of two electrons. |
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Free radical is denoted with a dot (.). | An electrophile is denoted with a positive sign (+). |
| Free radicals do not have any charge and are neutral. However, radical ions (radical cation and radical anion) are also known to exist. | Electrophiles are positively charged. |
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| Due to the loss of one electron, the free radicals seek one more electron, therefore; it is an electron acceptor. | Due to the loss of two electrons, the free radicals seek two more electrons and act as an electron acceptor. |
| Free radicals seek other free radicals (one electron donor) to form a dimer or a covalent bond. | Electrophiles seek nucleophiles (two electron donors) to form a new covalent bond. |
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Related Reading- Free Radicals (Introduction, Structure, and Types), Electrophiles





