Abstract:

The proton theory of acid-base is among the most important concepts in chemistry. While it is often the case that the strength of acids and bases in solution can be searched and quantitatively compared by their dissociation constants, however, for species whose experimental data are unavailable in the literature, qualitative estimation and comparison of their strengths by using molecular structure information are equally significant. The latter approach is more useful, especially in teaching, because it can be used to guide students to better understand the relationship between the structure and property. In this work, we identify a number of structural factors, including bond polarity, bond strength, bond delocalization, hydrogen bond and bond surrounding in molecule, which influence the strength of proton acids. Careful applications of these factors in solving real problems either in classroom or in scientific research are believed to be both instructive and rewarding.

Key words: Proton theory of acid-base, Molecular structure, Acidity, Comparison