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

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...
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 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 unequally shared.
Alkyl Halides02:45

Alkyl Halides

Structural Properties
Alkyl halides are halogen-substituted alkanes wherein one or more hydrogen atoms of an alkane is replaced by a halogen atom such as fluorine, chlorine, bromine, or iodine. The carbon atom in an alkyl halide is bonded to the halogen atom, which is sp3-hybridized and exhibits a tetrahedral shape.
Unlike alkyl halides, compounds in which a halogen atom is bonded to an sp2 -hybridized carbon atom of a carbon-carbon double bond (C=C) are called vinyl halides. Whereas aryl...
Halogens03:01

Halogens

Group 17 elements, known as halogens, are nonmetals. At room temperature, fluorine and chlorine are gases, bromine is a liquid, and iodine a solid. Astatine is a highly unstable radioactive element, so currently, most of its properties are unknown due to its short half-life. Tennessine is a synthetic element also predicted to be in this group.

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

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

Journal of molecular modeling·2026
Same author

A Computational Renaissance in High-Energy Density Materials (HEDMs) Research.

Chemical reviews·2025
Same author

The anomalous nature of fluorine revisited: amazing consequences.

Physical chemistry chemical physics : PCCP·2025
Same author

Quantifying water hydrogen bonding from the surface electrostatic potential at varying iso-density contours.

The Journal of chemical physics·2025
Same author

Electrostatic Potentials at Nuclei for Atoms From Z = 1 to Z = 54 Using the aHGBSP1-5 Basis Set.

Journal of computational chemistry·2025
Same author

No Boundaries and Naturally-Defined Boundaries Obtained via the Electrostatic Potential.

Chemphyschem : a European journal of chemical physics and physical chemistry·2025
Same journal

Spectroscopic Investigation of the In Vivo Light-Dependent Photodynamics of the Marine Diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum.

Chemphyschem : a European journal of chemical physics and physical chemistry·2026
Same journal

Atomistic Insights into the Thermal Decomposition and Runaway Mechanism of Peroxypropionic Acid.

Chemphyschem : a European journal of chemical physics and physical chemistry·2026
Same journal

Hydrazine Adsorption on Hexagonal Ice (0001): First-Principles Investigations on Stability, Dynamics, and Chirality Changes.

Chemphyschem : a European journal of chemical physics and physical chemistry·2026
Same journal

Sustainable Ball Milling-Assisted Synthesis of Bread Waste-Derived Highly Porous Carbons for Adsorption-Based Applications.

Chemphyschem : a European journal of chemical physics and physical chemistry·2026
Same journal

RNALig: An ML-Driven Structure-Based Scoring Function for Estimating Binding Affinities of RNA-Ligand Complexes.

Chemphyschem : a European journal of chemical physics and physical chemistry·2026
Same journal

Photoswitchable Polar Azobenzene-Based Liquid Crystals for Electro-Optic and Optical Data Storage Applications.

Chemphyschem : a European journal of chemical physics and physical chemistry·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 15, 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 interim discussion.

Peter Politzer1, Jane S Murray

  • 1Department of Chemistry, University of New Orleans, LA 70148, USA. ppolitze@uno.edu

Chemphyschem : a European Journal of Chemical Physics and Physical Chemistry
|January 11, 2013
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Halogen bonding, a key noncovalent interaction, is crucial in biological systems and materials science. Understanding its σ-hole phenomenon enables tailored applications in medicine and electronics.

More Related Videos

The Synthesis of [Sn10(Si(SiMe3)3)4]2- Using a Metastable Sn(I) Halide Solution Synthesized via a Co-condensation Technique
12:43

The Synthesis of [Sn10(Si(SiMe3)3)4]2- Using a Metastable Sn(I) Halide Solution Synthesized via a Co-condensation Technique

Published on: November 28, 2016

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 15, 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

The Synthesis of [Sn10(Si(SiMe3)3)4]2- Using a Metastable Sn(I) Halide Solution Synthesized via a Co-condensation Technique
12:43

The Synthesis of [Sn10(Si(SiMe3)3)4]2- Using a Metastable Sn(I) Halide Solution Synthesized via a Co-condensation Technique

Published on: November 28, 2016

Area of Science:

  • Chemical Physics
  • Materials Science
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Halogen bonding is an increasingly important noncovalent interaction.
  • It plays a significant role in biological systems and the design of novel materials for electronics, optics, and pharmaceuticals.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the nature and applications of halogen bonding.
  • To elucidate the origins and characteristics of the σ-hole.
  • To examine the relationship between halogen bonding and hydrogen bonding.

Main Methods:

  • Review of experimental observations of halogen bonding.
  • Analysis of electrostatic potentials and σ-hole properties.
  • Examination of factors influencing interaction strength and steric effects.

Main Results:

  • Halogen bonding involves a positive electrostatic potential (σ-hole) on the halogen and a negative site on a Lewis base.
  • The σ-hole's magnitude is governed by specific factors.
  • Interactions are tunable for various applications, including medicinal chemistry and crystal engineering.

Conclusions:

  • Halogen bonding is a versatile interaction with broad applications.
  • Understanding σ-holes is key to harnessing its potential.
  • σ-hole interactions extend beyond halogens to other Group IV-VI elements.