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What are Intermolecular Bonds – Definition

Intermolecular forces are the forces which mediate interaction between molecules, including forces of attraction or repulsion which act between molecules and other types of neighboring particles. 

Intermolecular bonds

Intermolecular forces are the forces which mediate interaction between molecules, including forces of attraction or repulsion which act between molecules and other types of neighboring particles. Attractive intermolecular forces nad their resulting bonds are categorized into the following types:

  • Molecular bond. When the electrons of neutral atoms spend more time in one region of their orbit, a temporary weak charge will exist. The molecule will weakly attract other molecules. This is sometimes called the van der Waals or molecular bonds.
  • Hydrogen bond. A hydrogen bond can be intermolecular (occurring between separate molecules) or intramolecular (occurring among parts of the same molecule). The hydrogen bond is a primarily electrostatic force of attraction between a hydrogen (H) atom which is covalently bound to a more electronegative atom or group.

Hydrogen Bond

hydrogen bond - characteristicsA hydrogen bond can be intermolecular (occurring between separate molecules) or intramolecular (occurring among parts of the same molecule). The hydrogen bond is a primarily electrostatic force of attraction between a hydrogen (H) atom which is covalently bound to a more electronegative atom or group.

A hydrogen is a strong example of an interaction between two permanent dipoles. The large difference in electronegativities between hydrogen and any of fluorine, nitrogen and oxygen, coupled with their lone pairs of electrons, cause strong electrostatic forces between molecules. A ubiquitous example of a hydrogen bond is found between water molecules. Hydrogen bonds are responsible for the high boiling points of water. Each H2O molecule has two hydrogen atoms that can bond to oxygen atoms. In addition, its single O atom can bond to two hydrogen atoms of other H2O molecules. Thus, for solid ice, each water molecule participates in four hydrogen bonds, helping to create an open hexagonal lattice. Liquid water’s high boiling point is due to the high number of hydrogen bonds each molecule can form, relative to its low molecular mass. Owing to the difficulty of breaking these bonds, water has a very high boiling point, melting point, and viscosity compared to otherwise similar liquids not conjoined by hydrogen bonds.

References:
Materials Science:
  1. U.S. Department of Energy, Material Science. DOE Fundamentals Handbook, Volume 1 and 2. January 1993.
  2. U.S. Department of Energy, Material Science. DOE Fundamentals Handbook, Volume 2 and 2. January 1993.
  3. William D. Callister, David G. Rethwisch. Materials Science and Engineering: An Introduction 9th Edition, Wiley; 9 edition (December 4, 2013), ISBN-13: 978-1118324578.
  4. Eberhart, Mark (2003). Why Things Break: Understanding the World by the Way It Comes Apart. Harmony. ISBN 978-1-4000-4760-4.
  5. Gaskell, David R. (1995). Introduction to the Thermodynamics of Materials (4th ed.). Taylor and Francis Publishing. ISBN 978-1-56032-992-3.
  6. González-Viñas, W. & Mancini, H.L. (2004). An Introduction to Materials Science. Princeton University Press. ISBN 978-0-691-07097-1.
  7. Ashby, Michael; Hugh Shercliff; David Cebon (2007). Materials: engineering, science, processing and design (1st ed.). Butterworth-Heinemann. ISBN 978-0-7506-8391-3.
  8. J. R. Lamarsh, A. J. Baratta, Introduction to Nuclear Engineering, 3d ed., Prentice-Hall, 2001, ISBN: 0-201-82498-1.

See above:

Chemical Bond

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