LCAO-MO-SCF-Calculations on the stability and Sterochernistry of hydrogen bonds

CNDO and INDO calculations were performed on numerous structures with hydrogen bonds of different strength. An almost linear relationship is found between the strength of weak hydrogen bonds and the amount of charge transfered.π-electrons and lone pairs are nearly equivalent in hydrogen bonding. The stereochemistry of hydrogen bonds is determined largely by additional interactions betweenσ-bonds of the two molecules. Since proton affinities are calculated too large by the CNDO method, an error is introduced in the potential curves for proton transfer in weak hydrogen bonds. In systems with strong hydrogen bonds both structures with the proton on the right and left have almost the same energy and hence the potential curves for proton transfer are free of the errors mentioned above.