Bonds 101
Hydrogen A hydrogen bond is a partially electrostatic attraction between a hydrogen atom which is bound to a more electronegative atom or group (such as nitrogen, oxygen, or flourine) and another adjacent atom bearing a lone pair of electrons. In other words, you have a hydrogen bound to something, and that complex is bound via the hydrogen to another something. The hydrogen containing thing is the bond donor and the thing with a lone pair is the bond acceptor. Hydrogen bonds can be intra or intermolecular. These bonds are slightly stronger than a van der Waals interaction, and weaker than fully covalent or ionic bonds. They are seen in both inorganic and organic molecules. Consequences of hydrogen bonding include the high boiling point of water and the secondary and tertiary structures of proteins and nucleic acids. They vary in strength from weak to strong. Liquid water is a roiling mess of hydrogen bonds. Each molecule of water can form up to 4 bonds, 2 due to its lone p