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  • Ethanol Water Hydrogen Bonds

Ethanol Water Hydrogen Bonds

Can ethanol form a hydrogen bond with water? What is the hydrogen bond relationship between ethanol and water?

In the case of alcohol, it is active, and its molecules contain hydroxyl groups. In the case of water, it also contains active hydroxyl groups. When the two meet, due to the characteristics of the hydroxyl group, it can form a hydrogen bond.

In the hydroxyl group of the ethanol molecule, oxygen has a strong electronegativity, which grabs hydrogen electrons and causes hydrogen to show positive electricity. Oxygen in water also has this property. When ethanol and water are mixed, the hydrogen of the ethanol hydroxyl group and the oxygen of the water, and the hydrogen of the water and the oxygen of the ethyl alcohol hydroxyl group, all electrically attract and form hydrogen bonds. The force of this hydrogen bond makes ethanol and water miscible and fuse seamlessly.

Looking at its microscopic scale, the hydrogen bonds are staggered, like strands of silk. The molecules of ethanol and water molecules are interspersed with each other, and they coexist stably due to the maintenance of hydrogen bonds. The formation of this hydrogen bond is not only related to the compatibility of the two, but also has far-reaching effects on many physical and chemical properties. For example, the change of boiling point, due to the existence of hydrogen bonds, in order to separate ethanol from water, more energy is required to break the hydrogen bond, causing the boiling point to rise.

Therefore, it can be seen that ethanol and water can form hydrogen bonds. This hydrogen bond is the key to the interaction between the two, and the characteristics of its mixed system have a huge impact.