In organic chemistry, an electron donating group (EDG) (electron releasing group (ERG) or activating group) is an atom or functional group that donates some of its electron density into a conjugated π system via resonance or inductive electron withdrawal, thus making the π system more nucleophilic. EDGs have the opposite effect on nucleophilicity as electron withdrawing groups (EWGs). When attached to a benzene molecule, an electron donating group makes it more likely to participate in electrophilic substitution reactions. Benzene itself will normally undergo substitutions by electrophiles, but additional substituents can alter the reaction rate or products by electronically or sterically affecting the interaction of the two reactants.
Electron donating groups are generally ortho/para directors for electrophilic aromatic substitutions (though the electron withdrawing halogens are also ortho/para directors as they have lone pairs of electrons that are shared with the aromatic ring)
Electron donating groups are typically divided into three levels of activating ability. Electron withdrawing groups are assigned to similar groupings.
Read more about Activating Group: Strongly Activating Groups, Moderately Activating Groups, Weakly Activating Groups
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