Question

Can a double bonded oxygen hydrogen bond?

Answer 1

Hint: We need to understand the concept of hydrogen bonding and accordingly predict whether a double bonded oxygen can hydrogen bond or not. A hydrogen bond is an electrical attraction between a hydrogen (H) atom covalently bonded to a more electronegative atom or group and another electronegative atom holding a lone pair of electrons—the hydrogen bond acceptor. Hydrogen bonding can be intermolecular (between two molecules) or intramolecular (occurring among parts of the same molecule).

Complete answer:
We need to know that a difference in electronegativity is required for hydrogen bonding. When oxygen is part of a double bond, it means it is not connected to hydrogen. In a nutshell, hydrogen bonding necessitates an electronegativity differential that is maximal when hydrogen bonds with an electronegative element $\left( {O,N,F} \right)$, and hydrogen cannot form a double bond. Yes, even a doubly linked oxygen may form hydrogen bonds. It is crucial to note, however, that the hydrogen bonds created by such an oxygen atom would be weaker than those created by an oxygen atom that is singly attached to two low electronegativity chemical species (like hydrogen).

Note:
We must note that an electrostatic dipole-dipole interaction is frequently used to characterise the hydrogen bond. It does, however, have certain characteristics with covalent bonding, such as being directed and strong, producing interatomic distances less than the total of the van der Waals radii, and often involving a small number of interaction partners, which may be viewed as a sort of valence. When acceptors bind hydrogens from more electronegative donors, these covalent characteristics become more prominent.