How to help students identify electrophiles and nucleophiles

Research has shown that secondary students frequently have trouble identifying electrophiles and nucleophiles in organic chemistry reaction mechanisms. A recent study used a large sample size to gain insight of students’ understanding of the processes involved. The results showed that students struggle to recognise the relationship between the pictorial depiction of reaction mechanisms and the underlying understanding of electron-deficient and electron-rich species. Read this article to better understand where students struggle with organic chemistry, and use the tips to help them explain reaction mechanisms at a molecular level.