Re: pinhole hydrogen bonding

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From: Karen Kalumuck (karenk@exploratorium.edu)
Date: Fri Jan 26 2001 - 11:35:56 PST 

Message-Id: <v01540b05b697816f9353@[192.174.2.182]>
Date: Fri, 26 Jan 2001 11:35:56 -0800
From: karenk@exploratorium.edu (Karen Kalumuck)
Subject: Re: pinhole hydrogen bonding

>Hydrogen bonding can occur whenever there is a H-N, H-O, or H-F bond. Why
>can't it occur in an H-Cl bond, which has a greater electronegativity
>difference than H-N?

Hi, Geoff!

This is a case of theory and "reality" differing. In aqueous solutions
HCl basically does not exist
as an associated molecule (except under extremely concentrated conditions where
you have to start worrying about activity and activity coefficients instead of
concentration, and there is no need to go there). In theory, molecular HCl
should be a
strong hydrogen bonding agent due to relative electronegativities. However, the
fact is that the electronegativity of Cl is so high that it completely rips off
the electron from the neighboring H, leaving it a lonely proton.

---Karen K

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Karen E. Kalumuck, Ph.D.
Biologist
Exploratorium Teacher Institute
3601 Lyon St.
San Francisco, CA 94123
415-561-0388
karenk@exploratorium.edu

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