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Factors affecting Hydrogen Bond Strength

Learning Objective: To learn about different factors affecting hydrogen bond strength.

Skill Level – Intermediate

 

Prerequisites: 

 

Chapter: Intermolecular Forces

Sub-topic: Hydrogen Bonding

 

Author's Note: Hydrogen bonding is a special case of dipole-dipole interaction. Hydrogen bonds are more potent than dipole-dipole interactions, and also its collective strength is 1/4th of the energy required to break a covalent bond. There are four main factors that affect its strength – electronegativity of the atoms, bonding angle, distance, and linear network, covered in this article with examples. These factors influence how and when a hydrogen bond forms, stays, and interacts.

Factors affecting Hydrogen Bond Strength

 

1) Electronegativity of the atoms

The higher the electronegativity of the atoms participating in the H-bond formation, greater is the charge separation at the dipoles that increases the strength of the intermolecular interactions. 

For example, the H-F bond will be more polarised than the O-H bond of H2O due to high electronegativity of Fluorine. The Hydrogen bond strength of the H-F…H-F bond is 29 kJ/mol, and for H-O-H…O-H2, it is 22kJ/mol. 

An increase in the electronegativity of the acceptor atom further increases the H-bond strength. For example, H-F…F-H is 29 kJ/mol, whereas H-F…F- is 165 kJ/mol.

Here the F- represents an anion when the Hydrogen has been removed from the H-F bond. Anions are stronger charges and the F-H---F- interaction will be hard to break requiring more energy input.

 

2) Distance

The donor and the acceptor atoms must be close and in the range of...

 

3) Bonding angle

The ideal bond angle is ..

 

4) Linear Network

Long chains of Hydrogen bond ....

 

Subscribe and study with examples of the factors affecting hydrogen bond strength.

Next: Hydrogen Bonding - Introduction and Occurrence

Next: The donors and acceptor atoms in the Hydrogen Bond

Next:  Hydrogen Bond Strength, Significance, and Types

Next: Impact of Hydrogen bonding on Physical Properties - Melting and boiling point, Solubility, and State

 

 

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