Non-covalent interaction

See also: Intermolecular force

In chemistry, a non-covalent interaction differs from a covalent bond in that it does not involve the sharing of electrons,[1] but rather involves more dispersed variations of electromagnetic interactions between molecules or within a molecule. The chemical energy released in the formation of non-covalent interactions is typically on the order of 1–5 kcal/mol (1000–5000 calories per 6.02×1023 molecules).[2] Non-covalent interactions can be classified into different categories, such as electrostatic, π-effects, van der Waals forces, and hydrophobic effects.[3][2]

Non-covalent interactions[4] are critical in maintaining the three-dimensional structure of large molecules, such as proteins and nucleic acids. They are also involved in many biological processes in which large molecules bind specifically but transiently to one another (see the properties section of the DNA page). These interactions also heavily influence drug design, crystallinity and design of materials, particularly for self-assembly, and, in general, the synthesis of many organic molecules.[3][5][6][7][8]

The non-covalent interactions may occur between different parts of the same molecule (e.g. during protein folding) or between different molecules and therefore are discussed also as intermolecular forces.

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  2. ^ a b Lodish H, Berk A, Zipursky SL, Matsudaira P, Baltimore D, Darnell J (2000). "Noncovalent bonds". Molecular Cell Biology (4th ed.). New York: W.H. Freeman. ISBN 978-0-7167-3136-8.
  3. ^ a b Anslyn E (2004). Modern Physical Organic Chemistry. Sausalito, CA: University Science. ISBN 978-1-891389-31-3.
  4. ^ Schalley CA (March 2012). "Introduction" (PDF). Analytical Methods in Supramolecular Chemistry (2nd ed.). Wiley. ISBN 978-3-527-32982-3.
  5. ^ Cockroft SL, Hunter CA (February 2007). "Chemical double-mutant cycles: dissecting non-covalent interactions". Chemical Society Reviews. 36 (2): 172–188. doi:10.1039/b603842p. PMID 17264921.
  6. ^ Brown TL, Bursten BE, Eugene H, LeMay H (2009). Chemistry: The Central Science (11th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall. ISBN 978-0-13-600617-6.
  7. ^ Eisler M (2010). "Self-Assembly". Encyclopedia of nanoscience and society. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage. doi:10.4135/9781412972093.n412. ISBN 978-1-4129-7209-3.
  8. ^ Biedermann F, Schneider HJ (May 2016). "Experimental Binding Energies in Supramolecular Complexes". Chemical Reviews. 116 (9): 5216–5300. doi:10.1021/acs.chemrev.5b00583. PMID 27136957.