| | A '''hydrogen bond''' is an attractive interaction between two species that arises from a link of the form A-H<sup>...</sup>B, where A and B are highly electronegative elements and B possesses a lone pair of electrons. [[Hydrogen bonding]] is conventionally regarded as being limited to N, O, and F but, if B is an anionic species (such as Cl<sup>-</sup>), it may also participate in hydrogen bonding. There is no strict cutoff for an ability to participate in hydrogen bonding, but N, O, and F participate most effectively. | | A '''hydrogen bond''' is an attractive interaction between two species that arises from a link of the form A-H<sup>...</sup>B, where A and B are highly electronegative elements and B possesses a lone pair of electrons. [[Hydrogen bonding]] is conventionally regarded as being limited to N, O, and F but, if B is an anionic species (such as Cl<sup>-</sup>), it may also participate in hydrogen bonding. There is no strict cutoff for an ability to participate in hydrogen bonding, but N, O, and F participate most effectively. |
| | The formation of a hydrogen bond can be regarded either as the approach between a partil positive charge of H and a partial negative charge of B or as a particular example of delocalized molecular orbital formation in which A, H, and B each supply one atomic orbital from which three molecular orbitals are constructed. Thus, if the A-H bond is regarded as formed from the overlap of an orbital on A, <math>\Psi</math><sub>A</sub>, and a hydrogen 1''s'' orbital, <math>\Psi</math><sub>H</sub>, and the lone pair on B occupies an orbital on B, <math>\Psi</math><sub>B</sub>, then, when the two molecules are close together, we can build three molecular orbitals from the three basis orbitals: | | The formation of a hydrogen bond can be regarded either as the approach between a partil positive charge of H and a partial negative charge of B or as a particular example of delocalized molecular orbital formation in which A, H, and B each supply one atomic orbital from which three molecular orbitals are constructed. Thus, if the A-H bond is regarded as formed from the overlap of an orbital on A, <math>\Psi</math><sub>A</sub>, and a hydrogen 1''s'' orbital, <math>\Psi</math><sub>H</sub>, and the lone pair on B occupies an orbital on B, <math>\Psi</math><sub>B</sub>, then, when the two molecules are close together, we can build three molecular orbitals from the three basis orbitals: |
| | Hydrogen bonds are relatively weak, especially compared with [[metallic bond|metallic]], [[ionic bond|ionic]] or [[covalent]] bonds. They are stronger than [[van der Waals]] forces. | | Hydrogen bonds are relatively weak, especially compared with [[metallic bond|metallic]], [[ionic bond|ionic]] or [[covalent]] bonds. They are stronger than [[van der Waals]] forces. |