Water does not only form hydrogen bonds with ammonia; as long as the conditions for hydrogen bond formation are met, water can form hydrogen bonds with a variety of substances. Below is a detailed explanation:
- With Alcohols: For example, ethanol (C₂H₅OH). The oxygen atom in the hydroxyl group (-OH) of ethanol has high electronegativity, making the hydrogen atom partially positively charged. This allows it to form hydrogen bonds with the oxygen or hydrogen atoms in water molecules. This is one of the reasons why ethanol can mix with water in any proportion.
- With Carboxylic Acids: For instance, acetic acid (CH₃COOH). The oxygen atom in the carboxyl group (-COOH) and the hydrogen atom in the hydroxyl group can both form hydrogen bonds with water molecules. As a result, lower carboxylic acids have significant solubility in water.
- With Phenols: Taking phenol (C₆H₅OH) as an example, the hydrogen atom in the phenol hydroxyl group can form hydrogen bonds with the oxygen atom in water molecules. However, due to the presence of the benzene ring, the solubility of phenol in water is limited, though hydrogen bonding interactions still exist.
- With Nitrogen-Containing Organic Compounds: For example, urea (CO(NH₂)₂). The nitrogen atom and the hydrogen atoms in the amino groups can form hydrogen bonds with water molecules, making urea highly soluble in water.
- With Hydrofluoric Acid: In hydrofluoric acid (HF), the fluorine atom has very high electronegativity. The hydrogen atom in HF can form hydrogen bonds with the oxygen atom in water molecules, while the hydrogen atom in water molecules can also form hydrogen bonds with the fluorine atom in HF.
