Hydrogen bonds bond polarity

Solvent effects on chemical equilibria and reactions have been an important issue in physical organic chemistry. Several empirical relationships have been proposed to characterize systematically the various types of properties in protic and aprotic solvents. One of the simplest models is the continuum reaction field characterized by the dielectric constant, e, of the solvent, which is still widely used. Taft and coworkers [30] presented more sophisticated solvent parameters that can take solute-solvent hydrogen bonding and polarity into account. Although this parameter has been successfully applied to rationalize experimentally observed solvent effects, it seems still far from satisfactory to interpret solvent effects on the basis of microscopic infomation of the solute-solvent interaction and solvation free energy. 

The ability of esters to form hydrogen bonds with polar reactants is especially important for the reactions of peroxyl radicals with antioxidants such as phenols and amines. Amines form hydrogen bonds with ester groups. The hydrogen bonding lowers the activity of antioxidants as acceptors of peroxyl radicals (see Chapters 14 and 15). 

Phenols and aromatic amines form hydrogen bonds with polar molecules Y containing heteroatoms or 77-bonds, for example, with ketones [45] ... 

Figure 3.6. Examples of hydrogen bonding and polar-polar attraction.

After these preliminary remarks, the term polarity appears to be used loosely to express the complex interplay of all types of solute-solvent interactions, i.e. nonspecific dielectric solute-solvent interactions and possible specific interactions such as hydrogen bonding. Therefore, polarity cannot be characterized by a single parameter, although the polarity of a solvent (or a microenvironment) is often associated with the static dielectric constant e (macroscopic quantity) or the dipole moment p of the solvent molecules (microscopic quantity). Such an oversimplification is unsatisfactory. 

The concept of polarity covers all types of solute-solvent interactions (including hydrogen bonding). Therefore, polarity cannot be characterized by a single parameter. Erroneous interpretation may arise from misunderstandings of basic phenomena. For example, a polarity-dependent probe does not unequivocally indicate a hydrophobic environment whenever a blue-shift of the fluorescence spectrum is observed. It should be emphasized again that solvent (or microenvironment) relaxation should be completed during the lifetime of the excited state for a correct interpretation of the shift in the fluorescence spectrum in terms of polarity. 

Platts et al. [39] reported linear free energy relation (LEER) models of the equilibrium distribution of molecules between blood and brain, relating log BB values to fundamental molecular properties, such as hydrogen-bonding capability, polarity/polarizability, and size. They used the following modified form of Abraham s general Eq. 46 ... 

The inclusion of enantiomers into the chiral cavities of the network is supposed to be the main chiral recognition mechanism. Moreover, hydrogen bonding between polar groups of the solutes and the amide groups of the polymers are also assumed to participate in the chiral recognition process. Apolar mobile phases such as hexane-dioxane and toluene-dioxane mixtures are therefore commonly used with this type of CSPs. 

Sallenave X, Bazuin CG. Interplay of ionic, hydrogen-bonding, and polar interactions in liquid crystalline complexes of a pyridylpyridinium polyamphiphile with (azo)phenol-functionalized molecules. Macromolecules 2007 40 5326-5336. 

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