Britannica Sources used in this answer

How do Lewis acids and Lewis bases form an adduct?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

sodium sulfate — acid–base reaction Sodium sulfate, also called Glauber's salt, is, like other salts, the product of an acid-base reaction.

In Lewis theory, a Lewis acid and a Lewis base form an adduct through the formation of a covalent bond.31

The process occurs as follows:
* Electron Donation: The Lewis base, which possesses an unshared pair of electrons, donates that pair to the Lewis acid.21
* Bond Formation: The Lewis acid, which is an electron-pair acceptor, accepts the pair to form a chemical bond.21
* Adduct Creation: The resulting product is an addition compound, or adduct, in which the shared electron pair constituting the bond originates from only one of the two reactants.2

If both the acid and base are uncharged, the resulting bond is specifically referred to as a coordinate or semipolar bond. This process is distinct from oxidation-reduction reactions, as it involves the sharing of an electron pair rather than the complete transfer of electrons from a reducing agent to an oxidizing agent.31