Q.Why does boron trifluoride behave as a Lewis acid?
Step 1 - Electron count on boron
Boron in uses its three valence electrons to form three sigma bonds to the three F atoms ( hybridisation, trigonal planar geometry, bond angle ); this uses only 6 electrons around boron, leaving its octet incomplete.
Step 2 - The vacant orbital
The unused, empty orbital on boron (perpendicular to the molecular plane) is available to accept an incoming lone pair of electrons from a donor species.
Step 3 - Example reaction
Here boron's empty orbital accepts the nitrogen lone pair, forming a coordinate (dative) bond and completing boron's octet - this electron-pair-acceptor behaviour is the very definition of a Lewis acid.
BF3 is a Lewis acid: boron is sp2-hybridised with only 6 electrons around it (incomplete octet) and a vacant 2p orbital that readily accepts an electron pair from a Lewis base such as NH3, e.g. BF3 + NH3 -> F3B<-NH3.
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