The electromeric effect is a

molecular A molecule is a group of two or more atoms held together by attractive forces known as chemical bonds; depending on context, the term may or may not include ions which satisfy this criterion. In quantum physics, organic chemistry, and bioche ...

polarizability Polarizability usually refers to the tendency of matter, when subjected to an electric field, to acquire an electric dipole moment in proportion to that applied field. It is a property of all matter, considering that matter is made up of elementar ...

occurring by an intramolecular

electron The electron ( or ) is a subatomic particle with a negative one elementary electric charge. Electrons belong to the first generation of the lepton particle family, and are generally thought to be elementary particles because they have no kn ...

displacement characterized by the substitution of one electron pair for another within the same atomic octet of electrons. It is sometimes called the ''conjugative mechanism'', and previously, the ''tautomeric mechanism''). The electromeric effect is often considered along with

inductive effect In chemistry, the inductive effect in a molecule is a local change in the electron density due to electron-withdrawing or electron-donating groups elsewhere in the molecule, resulting in a permanent dipole in a bond. It is present in a σ (sigm ...

as types of electron displacement. Although some people refer it as an effect produced by the presence of a reagent like an

electrophile In chemistry, an electrophile is a chemical species that forms bonds with nucleophiles by accepting an electron pair. Because electrophiles accept electrons, they are Lewis acids. Most electrophiles are positively charged, have an atom that carries ...

or a

nucleophile In chemistry, a nucleophile is a chemical species that forms bonds by donating an electron pair. All molecules and ions with a free pair of electrons or at least one pi bond can act as nucleophiles. Because nucleophiles donate electrons, they are ...

IUPAC The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC ) is an international federation of National Adhering Organizations working for the advancement of the chemical sciences, especially by developing nomenclature and terminology. It is ...

does not define it as such. The term electromeric effect is no longer used in standard texts and is considered as obsolete. The concepts implied by the terms electromeric effect and

mesomeric effect Mesomeric Effect in Organic Chemistry The Mesomeric Effect The mesomeric effect (or resonance effect) in chemistry is a property of substituents or functional groups in a chemical compound. It is defined as the polarity produced in the molecu ...

are absorbed in the term resonance effect. This effect can be represented using curved arrows which symbolize the electron shift, as in the diagram below:

Types of Electromeric Effects

The electric effect can be classified into two types, namely the +E effect and the -E effect. This classification is based on the direction of electron pair transfer. When the attacking reagent is electrophile, the +E effect is generally observed and π-electrons are transferred to the positively charged atom. When the attacking reagent is a nucleophile, there is generally an -E effect, where π electrons are transferred to atoms to which the attacking reagent will not bind.

References

Physical organic chemistry Chemical bonding {{Organic-chem-stub