How do hydrogen bonds form?

Hydrogen bonds form specifically when a hydrogen atom that is covalently bonded to a highly electronegative atom experiences an attraction to another electronegative atom nearby. This typically occurs when hydrogen is bonded to atoms such as nitrogen, oxygen, or fluorine, which strongly attract the shared electrons, creating a dipole. The hydrogen atom carries a slight positive charge due to the unequal sharing of electrons, making it capable of being attracted to the lone pairs of electrons on other electronegative atoms, thereby forming the hydrogen bond.

Covalent bonds are relevant because they involve the sharing of electrons between atoms, which sets the stage for hydrogen bonding to occur once the polar covalent bond is established. Other types of bonds, such as ionic, metallic, or Van der Waals forces, do not describe the mechanism by which hydrogen bonds occur; they involve different types of interactions and bonding characteristics. Understanding how hydrogen bonds occur is essential for grasping many biological processes, such as the structure of water and the stabilization of protein and DNA structures.