What is a protic solvent?

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Detailed Solution

A protic solvent is a solvent that has a hydrogen atom attached to oxygen or nitrogen, allowing it to form hydrogen bonds.

Protic solvents can donate hydrogen ions (H⁺) because they contain O–H or N–H bonds. This property allows them to stabilize ions and participate in many chemical reactions such as acid-base and nucleophilic substitution reactions.

Common Examples:

Solvent	Chemical Formula	Remarks
Water	H₂O	Most common protic solvent
Methanol	CH₃OH	Polar protic solvent
Ethanol	C₂H₅OH	Used in organic reactions
Acetic acid	CH₃COOH	Weak acid and protic solvent

Difference Between Protic and Aprotic Solvents:

Feature	Protic Solvent	Aprotic Solvent
Hydrogen Bonding	Can form hydrogen bonds	Cannot form hydrogen bonds
Hydrogen Attached To	O or N atom	Not attached to O or N
Examples	Water, Ethanol	Acetone, DMSO

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