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n2doc

(47,953 posts)
Tue Oct 1, 2013, 09:44 AM Oct 2013

See The World's First Images Of Actual Hydrogen Bonds

Scientists have just seen for the first time one of the most important physical interactions in our world — the special type of bond called the hydrogen bond that holds our DNA together and gives water its unique properties, including surface tension.
When a tiny hydrogen atom is in a molecule with a much bigger atom, like nitrogen or oxygen (for example, in water), that larger atom, pulls away some of the negative charge from the smaller one, giving the smaller one a slightly positive charge on one edge. That slightly positive charge is electrically attracted to the slightly negative charge on the large atom of another molecule.

In the image to the right you can see the big red atoms (oxygen in this case) exert a pull on the hydrogen atoms in other water molecules around it. Those dashed lines are the hydrogen bonds.

Now we can actually see a real picture of a hydrogen bond between molecules of 8-Hydroxyquinoline in the images below. The chemical forms hydrogen bonds and lies flat in one plane, so it's easier to visualize.



Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/first-images-of-a-hydrogen-bond-2013-9

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See The World's First Images Of Actual Hydrogen Bonds (Original Post) n2doc Oct 2013 OP
That's amazing. Skinner Oct 2013 #1
Awesome. byronius Oct 2013 #2
Beautiful! inch4progress Oct 2013 #3
name's Bond... nikto Oct 2013 #4
You're the bomb. nt awoke_in_2003 Oct 2013 #5
Shaken grahamhgreen Oct 2013 #6
Not stirred. FiveGoodMen Oct 2013 #10
LOL grahamhgreen Oct 2013 #12
Shocking... nikto Oct 2013 #16
Holy cow! That is fabulous! Peace Patriot Oct 2013 #7
Reminds me of that old chemistry joke about ... 66 dmhlt Oct 2013 #8
That's cute! CrispyQ Oct 2013 #13
K&R! burrowowl Oct 2013 #9
Electrons are moving so fast, between the atoms, that they look like DhhD Oct 2013 #11
Very cool! CrispyQ Oct 2013 #14
Wow!! nt Liberal_Dog Oct 2013 #15
Funny how the pics actually mirror the way we've been drawing the bonds all these years... Wounded Bear Oct 2013 #17

DhhD

(4,695 posts)
11. Electrons are moving so fast, between the atoms, that they look like
Wed Oct 2, 2013, 12:42 PM
Oct 2013

a linear cloud between the atoms. Other electrons moving around the atoms are in a cloud too. Very cool to finally see it.

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