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Hydrogen Bonds

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Hydrogen BondsHydrogen bonds are weak attractions between atoms that have formed other chemical bonds. One of these atoms is electronegative, like oxygen, and has a partial negative charge. The other is a hydrogen atom that has bonded with another electronegative atom and has a partial positive charge.Hydrogen Bonds Control the World!Because hydrogen has very weak electronegativity when it binds with a strongly electronegative atom, such as oxygen or nitrogen, electrons in the bond are...

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On a surface,...

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Atoms and molecules interact through bonds (or forces): intramolecular and intermolecular. The forces are electrostatic as they arise from interactions (attractive or repulsive) between charged species (permanent, partial, or temporary charges) and exist with varying strengths between ions, polar, nonpolar, and neutral molecules. The different types of intermolecular forces are ion–dipole, dipole–dipole, hydrogen bonds, and dispersion; among these, dipole–dipole, hydrogen bonds, and dispersion...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 13, 2026

Synthesis and Characterization of Supramolecular Colloids

Synthesis and Characterization of Supramolecular Colloids

Published on: April 22, 2016

Surface forces, supramolecular polymers, and inversion symmetry.

Jasper van der Gucht¹, Nicolaas A M Besseling, Martien A Cohen Stuart

¹Dutch Polymer Institute/Wageningen University, Laboratory of Physical Chemistry and Colloid Science, Dreijenplein 6, 6703 HB Wageningen, The Netherlands. jasper@fenk.wau.nl

Journal of the American Chemical Society

|May 23, 2002

Summary

Supramolecular equilibrium polymers significantly alter surface forces. Monomer directionality dictates whether forces are attractive or repulsive, offering new possibilities for material design.

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Area of Science:

Polymer Science
Surface Chemistry
Physical Chemistry

Background:

Equilibrium polymers are dynamic polymer networks formed through reversible bonding.
Understanding their impact on surface forces is crucial for advanced materials.
Existing models often do not account for the unique properties of supramolecular polymers.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the influence of supramolecular equilibrium polymers on surface forces.
To differentiate the surface forces generated by equilibrium polymers from conventional polymers.
To explore the role of monomer structure, specifically symmetry and directionality, in determining these forces.

Main Methods:

Phenomenological Landau-type analysis.
Molecular modeling utilizing a Bethe-Guggenheim approximation.
Comparison of forces generated by symmetric (B-B) and asymmetric (A-D) monomers.

Main Results:

Equilibrium polymers can induce surface forces distinct from ordinary polymers.
Symmetric monomers lead to nondirectional chains and attractive forces between surfaces.
Asymmetric monomers create directional chains, resulting in strong repulsive forces.

Conclusions:

Monomer directionality is a key factor in governing the nature and range of surface forces in equilibrium polymer systems.
The concentration dependence of attractive and repulsive forces differs significantly based on monomer symmetry.
These findings open avenues for designing materials with tunable surface interactions.