Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Hydrogen Bonds01:04

Hydrogen Bonds

A hydrogen bond is formed when a weakly positive hydrogen atom already bonded to one electronegative atom (for example, the oxygen in the water molecule) is attracted to another electronegative atom from another polar molecule, such as water (H2O), hydrogen fluoride (HF), or ammonia (NH3). The huge electronegativity difference between the H atom (2.1) and the atom to which it is bonded (4.0 for an F atom, 3.5 for an O atom, or 3.0 for an N atom), combined with the very small size of an H atom...
Hydrogen Bonds00:26

Hydrogen Bonds

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...
Valence Bond Theory02:45

Valence Bond Theory

Overview of Valence Bond Theory
Valence Bond Theory02:42

Valence Bond Theory

Coordination compounds and complexes exhibit different colors, geometries, and magnetic behavior, depending on the metal atom/ion and ligands from which they are composed. In an attempt to explain the bonding and structure of coordination complexes, Linus Pauling proposed the valence bond theory, or VBT, using the concepts of hybridization and the overlapping of the atomic orbitals. According to VBT, the central metal atom or ion (Lewis acid) hybridizes to provide empty orbitals of suitable...
Intermolecular Forces03:13

Intermolecular Forces

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...
Intermolecular Forces03:13

Intermolecular Forces

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...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

A genome-scale CRISPRi perturbation atlas of human induced pluripotent stem cells.

Nature biotechnology·2026
Same author

Molecular archaeology: Searching for buried connections between microscopic and macroscopic properties of the halomethanes.

Journal of molecular modeling·2026
Same author

Trapped Cycloadducts of 1-Azabutadienes via Microwave-Assisted Ring Opening of <i>N</i>-Acyl-2-azetines.

The Journal of organic chemistry·2026
Same author

The Myth of "Anti-Electrostatic" Bonds.

Journal of computational chemistry·2026
Same author

Activation volumes associated with excited-state electron transfer across amidinium-carboxylate bridge.

Chemical science·2026
Same author

The Common Fund Data Ecosystem (CFDE).

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same journal

Stability constants of lanthanide-nitrate complexes in aqueous solutions: a theoretical study.

Physical chemistry chemical physics : PCCP·2026
Same journal

Lead-free Cs<sub>3</sub>MnCl<sub>5</sub> and CsMnCl<sub>3</sub> crystals: rapid on-chip crystallization, phase transition and fluorescence sensing applications.

Physical chemistry chemical physics : PCCP·2026
Same journal

F-Interstitial passivation preserves host-like optoelectronic properties in <sup>229</sup>Th:YLF nuclear-clock platforms.

Physical chemistry chemical physics : PCCP·2026
Same journal

Structural trends of tryptophan dimer: hydrogen bonding <i>versus</i> π-stacking from an energy decomposition analysis perspective.

Physical chemistry chemical physics : PCCP·2026
Same journal

Achieving high thermoelectric performance in Sb<sub>2</sub>Se<sub>3</sub>-alloyed GeTe through synergistic optimization of electrical and thermal transport.

Physical chemistry chemical physics : PCCP·2026
Same journal

Ultraviolet perfect absorption leveraging bound states in the continuum in an Al/SiO<sub>2</sub> hybrid system.

Physical chemistry chemical physics : PCCP·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 12, 2026

From Molecules to Materials: Engineering New Ionic Liquid Crystals Through Halogen Bonding
06:44

From Molecules to Materials: Engineering New Ionic Liquid Crystals Through Halogen Bonding

Published on: March 24, 2018

Halogen bonding: an electrostatically-driven highly directional noncovalent interaction.

Peter Politzer1, Jane S Murray, Timothy Clark

  • 1CleveTheoComp, 1951 W. 26th St., Suite 409, Cleveland, OH 44113, USA. politzer@clevetheocomp.org

Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics : PCCP
|June 24, 2010
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Halogen bonds are directional, electrostatic interactions involving a sigma-hole on the halogen atom. These interactions, along with other sigma-hole bonding, are comparable in strength to hydrogen bonds.

More Related Videos

Spatial Separation of Molecular Conformers and Clusters
10:37

Spatial Separation of Molecular Conformers and Clusters

Published on: January 9, 2014

Construction and Systematical Symmetric Studies of a Series of Supramolecular Clusters with Binary or Ternary Ammonium Triphenylacetates
06:35

Construction and Systematical Symmetric Studies of a Series of Supramolecular Clusters with Binary or Ternary Ammonium Triphenylacetates

Published on: February 15, 2016

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 12, 2026

From Molecules to Materials: Engineering New Ionic Liquid Crystals Through Halogen Bonding
06:44

From Molecules to Materials: Engineering New Ionic Liquid Crystals Through Halogen Bonding

Published on: March 24, 2018

Spatial Separation of Molecular Conformers and Clusters
10:37

Spatial Separation of Molecular Conformers and Clusters

Published on: January 9, 2014

Construction and Systematical Symmetric Studies of a Series of Supramolecular Clusters with Binary or Ternary Ammonium Triphenylacetates
06:35

Construction and Systematical Symmetric Studies of a Series of Supramolecular Clusters with Binary or Ternary Ammonium Triphenylacetates

Published on: February 15, 2016

Area of Science:

  • Chemical Physics
  • Molecular Interactions
  • Supramolecular Chemistry

Background:

  • Noncovalent interactions are crucial in chemistry and biology.
  • Halogen bonding is a specific type of noncovalent interaction.
  • Sigma-holes are regions of positive electrostatic potential on atoms.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To define and explain halogen bonding.
  • To explore the nature of sigma-holes.
  • To compare halogen bonding with other interactions like hydrogen bonding.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of electrostatic potentials.
  • Examination of electronic structure (sigma-holes).
  • Review of experimental and computational studies.

Main Results:

  • Halogen bonds arise from a positive sigma-hole on the halogen atom.
  • Sigma-holes can occur on Group IV-VI atoms, enabling interactions with nucleophiles and electrophiles.
  • Halogen and other sigma-hole interactions are competitive with hydrogen bonding.

Conclusions:

  • Halogen bonding is an electrostatically driven interaction characterized by a sigma-hole.
  • The concept of sigma-holes provides a unified view of various noncovalent interactions.
  • Sigma-hole bonding is a significant interaction comparable to hydrogen bonding.