Lewis acid and bases competition between O and N

[nancy9494]

Hello!

I have to find whether the N or the O are better at giving electrons to react in a lewis acid base. I think that since O is more electronegative it will not do a good job at giving up electrons because it wants more to fill its octet while N is less electronegative it will be better at giving its electrons to B in the BH3 molecule. Is there more to this? or would the N bond better to the BH3 than O in all for molecules?

[hypervalent_iodine]

15 hours ago, nancy9494 said:

Hello!

I have to find whether the N or the O are better at giving electrons to react in a lewis acid base. I think that since O is more electronegative it will not do a good job at giving up electrons because it wants more to fill its octet while N is less electronegative it will be better at giving its electrons to B in the BH3 molecule. Is there more to this? or would the N bond better to the BH3 than O in all for molecules?

 

I think you're pretty much correct, though you could leave out the stuff about the octet. You could also make an argument about atomic size, but it amounts to the same thing. 

[nancy9494]

Thank you!

[BabcockHall]

I would think about other resonance forms.