In chemistry, an electron-withdrawing group (EWG) is a

substituent A substituent is one or a group of atoms that replaces (one or more) atoms, thereby becoming a moiety in the resultant (new) molecule. (In organic chemistry and biochemistry, the terms ''substituent'' and '' functional group'', as well as '' ...

that has some of the following kinetic and

thermodynamic Thermodynamics is a branch of physics that deals with heat, work, and temperature, and their relation to energy, entropy, and the physical properties of matter and radiation. The behavior of these quantities is governed by the four laws of t ...

implications: *with regards to

electron transfer Electron transfer (ET) occurs when an electron relocates from an atom or molecule to another such chemical entity. ET is a mechanistic description of certain kinds of redox reactions involving transfer of electrons. Electrochemical processes ar ...

, electron-withdrawing groups enhance the oxidizing power tendency of the appended species.

Tetracyanoethylene Tetracyanoethylene (TCNE) is organic compound with the formula . It is a colorless solid, although samples are often off-white. It is an important member of the cyanocarbons. Synthesis and reactions TCNE is prepared by brominating malononitri ...

is an oxidant because the alkene is appended to four cyano substituents, which are electron-withdrawing. *with regards to acid-base reactions, acids with electron-withdrawing groups species have low

acid dissociation constant In chemistry, an acid dissociation constant (also known as acidity constant, or acid-ionization constant; denoted ) is a quantitative measure of the strength of an acid in solution. It is the equilibrium constant for a chemical reaction : ...

s. For EWG's attached to benzene, this effect is described by the Hammett equation, which allows EWGs to be discussed quantitatively. *with regards to

nucleophilic substitution reaction In chemistry, a nucleophilic substitution is a class of chemical reactions in which an electron-rich chemical species (known as a nucleophile) replaces a functional group within another electron-deficient molecule (known as the electrophile). ...

s, electron-withdrawing groups are susceptible to attack by weak

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 a ...

s. For example, compared to

chlorobenzene Chlorobenzene is an aromatic organic compound with the chemical formula C6H5Cl. This colorless, flammable liquid is a common solvent and a widely used intermediate in the manufacture of other chemicals. Uses Historical The major use of chloro ...

chlorodinitrobenzene 2,4-Dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB) is an organic compound with the chemical formula (O2N)2C6H3Cl. It is a yellow solid that is soluble in organic solvents. It is an important intermediate for the industrial production of other compounds. DNCB ...

is susceptible to reactions that displace chloride.{{cite journal , author=J. F. Bunnett, R. M. Conner, doi=10.15227/orgsyn.040.0034, title=2,4-Dinitroiodobenzene , journal=Organic Syntheses , year=1960 , volume=40 , page=34 *electron-withdrawing substituents enhance the Lewis acidity. Relative to methyl, fluorine is a strong EWG. It follows that

boron trifluoride Boron trifluoride is the inorganic compound with the formula BF3. This pungent, colourless, and toxic gas forms white fumes in moist air. It is a useful Lewis acid and a versatile building block for other boron compounds. Structure and bondin ...

is a stronger

Lewis acid A Lewis acid (named for the American physical chemist Gilbert N. Lewis) is a chemical species that contains an empty orbital which is capable of accepting an electron pair from a Lewis base to form a Lewis adduct. A Lewis base, then, is any sp ...

than is trimethylborane.

References

Physical organic chemistry Chemical bonding