Paper 3 · Organic Chemistry
Which statement always applies to an electrophile?
AAttacks alkenes only.
BPositively charged.
CContains a lone pair of electrons.
DElectron deficient.
Explanation: The marking scheme gives answer D. An electrophile is always electron deficient (electron pair acceptor). It need not be positively charged (e.g. is a neutral electrophile) and it does not contain a lone pair.
ZIMSEC Chemistry Paper 3, June 2009, Q10

