Which atoms hydrogen bond? Sulfur?

[wormboge]

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I know that F, O, and N can hydrogen bond, but does any other element?

 

[Lawpy]

For the purposes of the MCAT, hydrogen bonding only occurs for oxygen, nitrogen and fluorine.

Chlorine can hydrogen bond in specific circumstances but that’s outside the scope of the MCAT. What exactly is hydrogen bonding (and does it really need fluorine, oxygen, or nitrogen)?

 

[Altius Premier Tutor]

Hi @wormboge, you are right in that fluorine, nitrogen and oxygen can hydrogen bond and for the MCAT, this is sufficient. It is important to note, however, that for a hydrogen bond to be present, you need both a hydrogen bond donor and an acceptor. A hydrogen bond donor is simply one of those 3 elements bonded to a hydrogen. A hydrogen bond acceptor is one of those 3 elements with at least one lone pair to "accept" the hydrogen bond. This is why water can technically make four hydrogen bonds as it has two hydrogen bond acceptors (the two lone pairs) and two hydrogen bond donors (two O-H bonds). Hope this clarifies the overall concept.