Editing Lewis acids and bases (section)

==Depicting adducts==
In many cases, the interaction between the Lewis base and Lewis acid in a complex is indicated by an arrow indicating the Lewis base donating electrons toward the Lewis acid using the notation of a [[dative bond]] — for example, {{chem2|Me3B}}←{{chem2|NH3}}. Some sources indicate the Lewis base with a pair of dots (the explicit electrons being donated), which allows consistent representation of the transition from the base itself to the complex with the acid:
:{{chem2|Me3B + :NH3 -> Me3B:NH3}}

A center dot may also be used to represent a Lewis adduct, such as {{chem2|Me3B*NH3}}. Another example is [[boron trifluoride diethyl etherate]], {{chem2|BF3*Et2O}}. In a slightly different usage, the center dot is also used to represent [[water of crystallization|hydrate coordination]] in various crystals, as in {{chem2|MgSO4*7H2O}} for hydrated [[magnesium sulfate]], irrespective of whether the water forms a dative bond with the metal.

Although there have been attempts to use computational and experimental energetic criteria to distinguish dative bonding from non-dative covalent bonds,<ref>{{Cite journal|title=On the Nature of the Dative Bond: Coordination to Metals and Beyond. The Carbon Case|journal=Coordination Chemistry Reviews|volume=308|pages=59–75|doi=10.1016/j.ccr.2015.07.018|year=2016|last1=Lepetit|first1=Christine|last2=Maraval|first2=Valérie|last3=Canac|first3=Yves|last4=Chauvin|first4=Remi}}</ref> for the most part, the distinction merely makes note of the source of the electron pair, and dative bonds, once formed, behave simply as other covalent bonds do, though they typically have considerable polar character. Moreover, in some cases (e.g., sulfoxides and amine oxides as {{chem2|R2S->O}} and {{chem2|R3N->O}}), the use of the dative bond arrow is just a notational convenience for avoiding the drawing of formal charges. In general, however, the donor–acceptor bond is viewed as simply somewhere along a continuum between idealized [[covalent bonding]] and [[ionic bonding]].<ref name="March"/>