Hydrogen Bonding Confusion AAMC 9

[tmandudeguy]

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I am so confused. The question asked what kind of interaction can an alcohol undergo with water that an there couldnt. The answer was H-bonding. But cant the OH bond in water H bond with the O in the ether?

 

[msamp]

Ether has no hydrogens attached to an electronegative atom that can H-bond (F,O,N)

 

[tmandudeguy]

But I thought H bonding was when 1 H was attached to FON on one molecule and that H can H bond with any other electronegative atom.

 

[dropper]

Yes. Ethers with less than 5 C's are capable of hydrogen bonding with the electron-deficient Hydrogen of h2o. The question is probably poorly worded. Regardless, the amount of H bonding in alcohols->h2o is FAR greater than the H bonding of ethers->h2o.

However, ether molecules can't hydrogen bond to other ether molecules since as msamp pointed out they don't have electron-deficient H's. While alcohols can. (ie why their BP is much higher than an ether's)

 

[mangoshakes]

I love how often Hydrogen Bonding is an answer on the mcat.

 

[SN2ed]

Thread closed. These types of questions belong in the MCAT Study Q&A forum.