Lewis acids

Lewis acids are substances that can accept a pair of electrons during a chemical reaction. Think of them as electron "hunters" that pull in electron pairs from other molecules. This ability allows Lewis acids to form bonds with molecules or ions that can donate those electrons, known as Lewis bases. For example, metal ions like aluminum or iron act as Lewis acids because they readily accept electrons. This concept helps explain many chemical reactions, especially in catalysis and coordination chemistry, where the electron pair movement is key to forming new compounds or enabling reactions.