A simple explanation of complexation

J. Richard Elliot, the University of Akron, shared his views on the adoption of a simple approach to explain complexation of hydrogen bonding to new chemical engineering students. The approach emphasized computations and introduced the vocabulary of solution thermodynamics. A simplified version of the 'Modified Separation of Cohesive Energy Density' (MOSCED) was introduced applied as an example. The MOSCED model was a modification of Scatchard-Hildebrand theory that separated the cohesive energy density into a dispersion term, a polarity term, and two hydrogen bonding terms. It was demonstrated that characterization of acidity and basicity was the key to explain hydrogen bonding. It was found that MOSCED was better suited to an intuitive explanation of hydrogen bonding.