When interacting, hydrogen is formed. this is the best solvent
Let's look at what hydrogen is. Chemical properties and the production of this non-metal is studied in the course of inorganic chemistry at school. It is this element that heads Mendeleev’s periodic table, and therefore deserves a detailed description.
Brief information about opening an element
Before looking at the physical and chemical properties of hydrogen, let's find out how this important element was found.
Chemists who worked in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries repeatedly mentioned in their writings the flammable gas that is released when acids are exposed to active metals. In the second half of the eighteenth century, G. Cavendish managed to collect and analyze this gas, giving it the name “combustible gas.”
The physical and chemical properties of hydrogen were not studied at that time. Only at the end of the eighteenth century A. Lavoisier was able to establish through analysis that this gas could be obtained by analyzing water. A little later, he began to call the new element hydrogene, which translated means “giving birth to water.” Hydrogen owes its modern Russian name to M. F. Solovyov.
Being in nature
The chemical properties of hydrogen can only be analyzed based on its occurrence in nature. This element is present in the hydro- and lithosphere, and is also part of minerals: natural and associated gas, peat, oil, coal, oil shale. It is difficult to imagine an adult who would not know that hydrogen is a component of water.
In addition, this nonmetal is found in animal organisms in the form nucleic acids, proteins, carbohydrates, fats. On our planet, this element is found in free form quite rarely, perhaps only in natural and volcanic gas.
In the form of plasma, hydrogen makes up approximately half the mass of stars and the Sun, and is also part of the interstellar gas. For example, in free form, as well as in the form of methane and ammonia, this non-metal is present in comets and even some planets.
Physical properties
Before considering the chemical properties of hydrogen, we note that when normal conditions it is a gaseous substance lighter than air, having several isotopic forms. It is almost insoluble in water and has high thermal conductivity. Protium, which has a mass number of 1, is considered its lightest form. Tritium, which has radioactive properties, is formed in nature from atmospheric nitrogen when neurons expose it to UV rays.
Features of the structure of the molecule
To consider the chemical properties of hydrogen and the reactions characteristic of it, let us dwell on the features of its structure. This diatomic molecule contains a covalent nonpolar chemical bond. The formation of atomic hydrogen is possible through the interaction of active metals with acid solutions. But in this form, this non-metal can exist only for a short period of time; almost immediately it recombines into a molecular form.
Chemical properties
Let's consider the chemical properties of hydrogen. In most of the compounds that this chemical element forms, it exhibits an oxidation state of +1, which makes it similar to active (alkali) metals. The main chemical properties of hydrogen that characterize it as a metal:
- interaction with oxygen to form water;
- reaction with halogens, accompanied by the formation of hydrogen halide;
- producing hydrogen sulfide by combining with sulfur.
Below is the equation for reactions characterizing the chemical properties of hydrogen. Please note that as a non-metal (with oxidation state -1) it acts only in reaction with active metals, forming corresponding hydrides with them.
Hydrogen at ordinary temperatures reacts inactively with other substances, so most reactions take place only after preheating.
Let's take a closer look at some of the chemical interactions of the element that heads the periodic table chemical elements Mendeleev.
The reaction of water formation is accompanied by the release of 285.937 kJ of energy. At elevated temperature(more than 550 degrees Celsius) this process is accompanied by a strong explosion.
Among those chemical properties of hydrogen gas that have found significant application in industry, its interaction with metal oxides is of interest. It is through catalytic hydrogenation that in modern industry metal oxides are processed, for example, pure metal is isolated from iron scale (mixed iron oxide). This method allows for efficient recycling of scrap metal.
Ammonia synthesis, which involves the interaction of hydrogen with air nitrogen, is also in demand in the modern chemical industry. Among the conditions for this chemical interaction, we note pressure and temperature.
Conclusion
It is hydrogen that is inactive chemical under normal conditions. As the temperature rises, its activity increases significantly. This substance is in demand in organic synthesis. For example, hydrogenation can reduce ketones to secondary alcohols and convert aldehydes to primary alcohols. In addition, by hydrogenation it is possible to convert unsaturated hydrocarbons of the ethylene and acetylene class into saturated compounds of the methane series. Hydrogen is rightfully considered a simple substance in demand in modern chemical production.
The most common element in the universe is hydrogen. In the matter of stars, it has the form of nuclei - protons - and is a material for thermonuclear processes. Almost half of the Sun's mass also consists of H 2 molecules. Its content in the earth's crust reaches 0.15%, and atoms are present in the composition of oil, natural gas, water. Together with oxygen, nitrogen and carbon, it is an organogenic element that is part of all living organisms on Earth. In our article we will study the physical and chemical properties of hydrogen, determine the main areas of its application in industry and its significance in nature.
Position in Mendeleev's periodic table of chemical elements
The first element to discover the periodic table is hydrogen. Its atomic mass is 1.0079. It has two stable isotopes (protium and deuterium) and one radioactive isotope (tritium). Physical properties are determined by the place of the nonmetal in the table of chemical elements. Under normal conditions, hydrogen (its formula is H2) is a gas that is almost 15 times lighter than air. The structure of the element's atom is unique: it consists of only a nucleus and one electron. The molecule of the substance is diatomic; the particles in it are connected using a covalent nonpolar bond. Its energy intensity is quite high - 431 kJ. This explains the low chemical activity of the compound under normal conditions. The electronic formula of hydrogen is: H:H.
The substance also has a number of properties that have no analogues among other non-metals. Let's look at some of them.
Solubility and thermal conductivity
Metals conduct heat best, but hydrogen is close to them in thermal conductivity. The explanation for the phenomenon is very high speed thermal movement light molecules of a substance, therefore in a hydrogen atmosphere a heated object cools 6 times faster than in air. The compound can be highly soluble in metals; for example, almost 900 volumes of hydrogen can be absorbed by one volume of palladium. Metals can combine with H2 into chemical reactions, in which the oxidizing properties of hydrogen are manifested. In this case, hydrides are formed:
2Na + H 2 =2 NaH.
In this reaction, atoms of the element accept electrons from metal particles, becoming anions with a single negative charge. The simple substance H2 in this case is an oxidizing agent, which is usually not typical for it.
Hydrogen as a reducing agent
What unites metals and hydrogen is not only high thermal conductivity, but also the ability of their atoms in chemical processes to give up their own electrons, that is, to oxidize. For example, basic oxides react with hydrogen. The redox reaction ends with the release of pure metal and the formation of water molecules:
CuO + H 2 = Cu + H 2 O.
The interaction of a substance with oxygen when heated also leads to the formation of water molecules. The process is exothermic and is accompanied by the release large quantity thermal energy. If a gas mixture of H 2 and O 2 reacts in a 2:1 ratio, then it is called because it explodes when ignited:
2H 2 + O 2 = 2H 2 O.
Water is and plays a vital role in the formation of the Earth’s hydrosphere, climate, and weather. It ensures the cycle of elements in nature, supports everything life processes organisms that inhabit our planet.
Interaction with non-metals
The most important chemical properties of hydrogen are its reactions with non-metallic elements. Under normal conditions, they are quite chemically inert, so the substance can only react with halogens, for example with fluorine or chlorine, which are the most active among all non-metals. Thus, a mixture of fluorine and hydrogen explodes in the dark or in the cold, and with chlorine - when heated or in the light. The reaction products will be hydrogen halides, aqueous solutions of which are known as fluoride and chloride acids. C interacts at a temperature of 450-500 degrees, a pressure of 30-100 mPa and in the presence of a catalyst:
N₂ + 3H₂ ⇔ p, t, kat ⇔ 2NH₃.
The considered chemical properties of hydrogen are of great importance for industry. For example, you can get valuable chemical product- ammonia. It is the main raw material for the production of nitrate acid and nitrogen fertilizers: urea, ammonium nitrate.
Organic matter
Between carbon and hydrogen leads to the production of the simplest hydrocarbon - methane:
C + 2H 2 = CH 4.
The substance is the most important component of natural and They are used as a valuable type of fuel and raw material for the organic synthesis industry.
In the chemistry of carbon compounds, the element is part of a huge number of substances: alkanes, alkenes, carbohydrates, alcohols, etc. Many reactions of organic compounds with H 2 molecules are known. They are wearing common name- hydrogenation or hydrogenation. Thus, aldehydes can be reduced with hydrogen to alcohols, unsaturated hydrocarbons - to alkanes. For example, ethylene is converted to ethane:
C 2 H 4 + H 2 = C 2 H 6.
The chemical properties of hydrogen, such as, for example, the hydrogenation of liquid oils: sunflower, corn, rapeseed, are of important practical importance. It leads to the production of solid fat - lard, which is used in the production of glycerin, soap, stearin, and hard margarine. For improvement appearance and taste food product Milk, animal fats, sugar, and vitamins are added to it.
In our article, we studied the properties of hydrogen and found out its role in nature and human life.
Hydrogen occupies a special position in the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements D.I. Mendeleev. In terms of the number of valence electrons and the ability to form the hydration ion H + in solutions, it is similar to alkali metals, and should be placed in group I. Based on the number of electrons required to complete the outer electron shell, the value of the ionization energy, the ability to exhibit a negative oxidation state, and the small atomic radius, hydrogen should be placed in group VII of the periodic table. Thus, the placement of hydrogen in one group or another of the periodic system is largely arbitrary, but in most cases it is placed in group VII.
Electronic formula of hydrogen 1 s 1 . The only valence electron is located directly in the sphere of action of the atomic nucleus. The simplicity of the electronic configuration of hydrogen does not mean that the chemical properties of this element are simple. In contrast, the chemistry of hydrogen differs in many ways from the chemistry of other elements. Hydrogen in its compounds is capable of exhibiting oxidation states of +1 and –1.
There are a large number of methods for producing hydrogen. In the laboratory it is obtained by reacting certain metals with acids, for example:
Hydrogen can be produced by electrolysis aqueous solutions sulfuric acid or alkalis. In this case, the process of hydrogen evolution occurs at the cathode and oxygen at the anode.
In industry, hydrogen is produced mainly from natural and associated gases, fuel gasification products and coke oven gas.
Simple substance hydrogen (H 2) is a flammable gas, colorless and odorless. Boiling point –252.8 °C. Hydrogen is 14.5 times lighter than air and slightly soluble in water.
The hydrogen molecule is stable and has great strength. Because of high energy dissociation (435 kJ/mol) the decomposition of H 2 molecules into atoms occurs to a noticeable extent only at temperatures above 2000 °C.
Positive and negative oxidation states are possible for hydrogen, therefore in chemical reactions hydrogen can exhibit both oxidative and restorative properties. In cases where hydrogen acts as an oxidizing agent, it behaves like halogens, forming hydrides similar to halides ( hydrides name a group of chemical compounds of hydrogen with metals and elements less electronegative than it):
In terms of oxidative activity, hydrogen is significantly inferior to halogens. Therefore, only hydrides of alkali and alkaline earth metals exhibit ionic character. Ionic as well as complex hydrides, for example, are strong reducing agents. They are widely used in chemical syntheses.
In most reactions, hydrogen behaves as a reducing agent. Under normal conditions, hydrogen does not react with oxygen, but when ignited, the reaction occurs explosively:
A mixture of two volumes of hydrogen with one volume of oxygen is called detonating gas. During controlled combustion, a large amount of heat is released, and the temperature of the hydrogen-oxygen flame reaches 3000 °C.
The reaction with halogens proceeds in different ways, depending on the nature of the halogen:
With fluorine, this reaction occurs explosively even with low temperatures. With chlorine in the light, the reaction also occurs explosively. With bromine the reaction is much slower, but with iodine it does not reach completion even with high temperature. The mechanism of these reactions is radical.
At elevated temperatures, hydrogen interacts with elements of group VI - sulfur, selenium, tellurium, for example:
The reaction of hydrogen with nitrogen is very important. This reaction is reversible. To shift the equilibrium towards the formation of ammonia, increased pressure is used. In industry, this process is carried out at a temperature of 450–500 °C in the presence of various catalysts:
Hydrogen reduces many metals from oxides, for example:
This reaction is used to obtain some pure metals.
Hydrogenation reactions of organic compounds play a huge role, which are widely used both in laboratory practice and in industrial organic synthesis.
Reduction of natural sources of hydrocarbons, pollution environment fuel combustion products are increasing interest in hydrogen as an environmentally friendly fuel. Hydrogen will probably play important role in the energy sector of the future.
Currently, hydrogen is widely used in industry for the synthesis of ammonia, methanol, hydrogenation of solid and liquid fuels, in organic synthesis, for welding and cutting metals, etc.
Water H 2 O, hydrogen oxide, is an essential chemical compound. Under normal conditions, water is a colorless liquid, odorless and tasteless. Water is the most abundant substance on the surface of the Earth. IN human body contains 63–68% water.
The physical properties of water are in many ways anomalous. Under normal conditions atmospheric pressure water boils at 100 °C. Freezing point clean water 0°C. Unlike other liquids, the density of water does not increase monotonically when cooled, but has a maximum at +4 °C. The heat capacity of water is very high and amounts to 418 kJ/mol·K. The heat capacity of ice at 0 °C is 2.038 kJ/mol·K. The heat of melting of ice is abnormally high. The electrical conductivity of water is very low. The anomalous physical properties of water explain its structure. The H–O–H bond angle is 104.5°. The water molecule is a distorted tetrahedron, at two vertices of which hydrogen atoms are located, and the other two are occupied by the orbitals of lone pairs of electrons of the oxygen atom, which are not involved in the formation of chemical bonds.
Water is a stable compound; its decomposition into oxygen and hydrogen occurs only under the influence of constant electric current or at a temperature of about 2000 °C:
Water directly interacts with metals in the range of standard electronic potentials up to hydrogen. Depending on the nature of the metal, the reaction products can be the corresponding hydroxides and oxides. The reaction rate, depending on the nature of the metal, also varies within wide limits. Thus, sodium reacts with water already at room temperature, the reaction is accompanied by the release of a large amount of heat; iron reacts with water at a temperature of 800 °C:
In lesson 22 " Chemical properties of hydrogen" from the course " Chemistry for dummies» find out what substances hydrogen reacts with; Let's find out what chemical properties hydrogen has.
Hydrogen enters into chemical reactions with simple and complex substances. However, under normal conditions, hydrogen is inactive. For its interaction with other substances, it is necessary to create conditions: increase the temperature, use a catalyst, etc.
Reactions of hydrogen with simple substances
When heated, hydrogen reacts with simple substances - oxygen, chlorine, nitrogen, sulfur.
If you ignite pure hydrogen in air, coming out of vent pipe, it burns with an even, barely noticeable flame. Now let's place the tube with burning hydrogen in a jar of oxygen (Fig. 95).
The combustion of hydrogen continues, while drops of water formed as a result of the reaction are visible on the walls of the jar:
When hydrogen burns, a lot of heat is released. The temperature of the oxygen-hydrogen flame reaches more than 2000 °C.
The chemical reaction of hydrogen with oxygen is a compound reaction. As a result of the reaction, hydrogen oxide (water) is formed. This means that the oxidation of hydrogen with oxygen has occurred, i.e. we can call this reaction an oxidation reaction.
If you collect a little hydrogen in a test tube turned upside down by displacing air, and then bring a burning match to its hole, you will hear a loud “barking” sound of a small explosion of a mixture of hydrogen and air. This mixture is called “explosive.”
On a note: The ability of hydrogen mixed with air to form “explosive gas” has often been the cause of accidents in balloons filled with hydrogen. Violation of the tightness of the balloon shell led to a fire and even an explosion. Nowadays, balloons are filled with helium or constantly pumped hot air.
In an atmosphere of chlorine, hydrogen burns to form a complex substance - hydrogen chloride. In this case the reaction occurs:
The reaction of hydrogen with nitrogen occurs at elevated temperature and pressure in the presence of a catalyst. As a result of the reaction, ammonia NH 3 is formed:
If a stream of hydrogen is directed at sulfur melted in a test tube, you will smell the smell of rotten eggs at its opening. This is what hydrogen sulfide gas H2S, a product of the reaction of hydrogen with sulfur, smells like:
On a note: Hydrogen can not only dissolve in some metals, but alsoplay with them. This produces chemical compounds called hydrides (NaH - sodium hydride). Hydrides of some metals are used as fuel in solid fuel rocket engines, as well as in the production of thermonuclear energy.
Reactions of hydrogen with complex substances
Hydrogen reacts at elevated temperatures not only with simple but also with complex substances. Let us consider as an example its reaction with copper(II) oxide CuO (Fig. 96).
Let's pass hydrogen over heated copper(II) oxide powder CuO. As the reaction proceeds, the color of the powder changes from black to brownish red. This is the color of the element copper Cu. During the reaction, droplets of liquid appear on the cold parts of the test tube. This is another reaction product - water H 2 O. Note that, unlike the simple substance copper, water is a complex substance.
The equation for the reaction of copper(II) oxide with hydrogen:
Hydrogen, in reaction with copper(II) oxide, exhibits the ability to remove oxygen from the metal oxide, thereby reducing the metal from this oxide. As a result, it happens copper recovery from the complex substance CuO to metallic copper (Cu).
Recovery reactions- These are reactions during which complex substances donate oxygen atoms to other substances.
A substance that removes oxygen atoms is called a reducing agent. In the reaction with copper(II) oxide, the reducing agent is hydrogen. Hydrogen also reacts with the oxides of some other metals, for example PbO, HgO, MoO 3, WO 3, etc. Oxidation and reduction are always interrelated. If one substance (H2) is oxidized, then the other (CuO) is reduced, and vice versa.
Brief conclusions of the lesson:
- When heated, hydrogen reacts with oxygen, chlorine, nitrogen, and sulfur.
- Reduction is the donation of oxygen atoms by complex substances to other substances.
- The processes of oxidation and reduction are interconnected.
Hope lesson 22" Chemical properties of hydrogen"was clear and informative. If you have any questions, write them in the comments.
In the periodic table, hydrogen is located in two groups of elements that are completely opposite in their properties. This feature make it completely unique. Hydrogen is not just an element or substance, but is also an integral part of many complex compounds, an organogenic and biogenic element. Therefore, let's look at its properties and characteristics in more detail.
The release of flammable gas during the interaction of metals and acids was observed back in the 16th century, that is, during the formation of chemistry as a science. The famous English scientist Henry Cavendish studied the substance starting in 1766 and gave it the name “combustible air.” When burned, this gas produced water. Unfortunately, the scientist’s adherence to the theory of phlogiston (hypothetical “ultrafine matter”) prevented him from coming to the right conclusions.
The French chemist and naturalist A. Lavoisier, together with the engineer J. Meunier and with the help of special gasometers, synthesized water in 1783, and then analyzed it through the decomposition of water vapor with hot iron. Thus, scientists were able to come to the right conclusions. They found that “combustible air” is not only part of water, but can also be obtained from it.
In 1787, Lavoisier suggested that the gas under study was a simple substance and, accordingly, was one of the primary chemical elements. He called it hydrogene (from the Greek words hydor - water + gennao - I give birth), i.e. “giving birth to water.”
The Russian name “hydrogen” was proposed in 1824 by the chemist M. Soloviev. The determination of the composition of water marked the end of the “phlogiston theory.” At the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries, it was established that the hydrogen atom is very light (compared to the atoms of other elements) and its mass was taken as the basic unit for comparing atomic masses, receiving a value equal to 1.
Physical properties
Hydrogen is the lightest substance known to science (it is 14.4 times lighter than air), its density is 0.0899 g/l (1 atm, 0 °C). This material melts (solidifies) and boils (liquefies), respectively, at -259.1 ° C and -252.8 ° C (only helium has lower boiling and melting temperatures).
The critical temperature of hydrogen is extremely low (-240 °C). For this reason, its liquefaction is a rather complex and costly process. The critical pressure of the substance is 12.8 kgf/cm², and the critical density is 0.0312 g/cm³. Among all gases, hydrogen has the highest thermal conductivity: at 1 atm and 0 °C it is equal to 0.174 W/(mxK).
The specific heat capacity of the substance under the same conditions is 14.208 kJ/(kgxK) or 3.394 cal/(gh°C). This element is slightly soluble in water (about 0.0182 ml/g at 1 atm and 20 °C), but well soluble in most metals (Ni, Pt, Pa and others), especially in palladium (about 850 volumes per volume of Pd ).
The latter property is associated with its ability to diffuse, and diffusion through a carbon alloy (for example, steel) can be accompanied by the destruction of the alloy due to the interaction of hydrogen with carbon (this process is called decarbonization). In the liquid state, the substance is very light (density - 0.0708 g/cm³ at t° = -253 °C) and fluid (viscosity - 13.8 spoise under the same conditions).
In many compounds this element exhibits a +1 valency (oxidation state), like sodium and others alkali metals. It is usually considered as an analogue of these metals. Accordingly, he heads group I of the periodic system. In metal hydrides, the hydrogen ion exhibits a negative charge (the oxidation state is -1), that is, Na+H- has a structure similar to Na+Cl- chloride. In accordance with this and some other facts (proximity physical properties element “H” and halogens, the ability to replace it with halogens in organic compounds) Hydrogene belongs to group VII of the periodic system.
Under normal conditions, molecular hydrogen has low activity, directly combining only with the most active of non-metals (with fluorine and chlorine, with the latter in the light). In turn, when heated, it interacts with many chemical elements.
Atomic hydrogen has increased chemical activity (compared to molecular hydrogen). With oxygen it forms water according to the formula:
Н₂ + ½О₂ = Н₂О,
releasing 285.937 kJ/mol of heat or 68.3174 kcal/mol (25 °C, 1 atm). Under normal temperature conditions, the reaction proceeds rather slowly, and at t° >= 550 °C it is uncontrollable. The explosive limits of a hydrogen + oxygen mixture by volume are 4–94% H₂, and a hydrogen + air mixture is 4–74% H₂ (a mixture of two volumes of H₂ and one volume of O₂ is called detonating gas).
This element is used to reduce most metals, as it removes oxygen from oxides:
Fe₃O₄ + 4H₂ = 3Fe + 4H₂O,
CuO + H₂ = Cu + H₂O, etc.
Hydrogen forms hydrogen halides with different halogens, for example:
H₂ + Cl₂ = 2HCl.
However, when reacting with fluorine, hydrogen explodes (this also happens in the dark, at -252 ° C), with bromine and chlorine it reacts only when heated or illuminated, and with iodine - only when heated. When interacting with nitrogen, ammonia is formed, but only on the catalyst, when high blood pressure and temperature:
ЗН₂ + N₂ = 2NN₃.
When heated, hydrogen reacts actively with sulfur:
H₂ + S = H₂S (hydrogen sulfide),
and much more difficult with tellurium or selenium. Hydrogen reacts with pure carbon without a catalyst, but at high temperatures:
2H₂ + C (amorphous) = CH₄ (methane).
This substance reacts directly with some of the metals (alkali, alkaline earth and others), forming hydrides, for example:
H₂ + 2Li = 2LiH.
The interactions between hydrogen and carbon monoxide (II) are of considerable practical importance. In this case, depending on the pressure, temperature and catalyst, different organic compounds are formed: HCHO, CH₃OH, etc. Unsaturated hydrocarbons during the reaction become saturated, for example:
С n Н₂ n + Н₂ = С n Н₂ n ₊₂.
Hydrogen and its compounds play an exceptional role in chemistry. It determines the acidic properties of the so-called. protic acids, tends to form hydrogen bonds with different elements, which has a significant impact on the properties of many inorganic and organic compounds.
Hydrogen production
The main types of raw materials for the industrial production of this element are oil refining gases, natural combustible and coke oven gases. It is also obtained from water through electrolysis (in places where electricity is available). One of the most important methods for producing material from natural gas is the catalytic interaction of hydrocarbons, mainly methane, with water vapor (so-called conversion). For example:
CH₄ + H₂O = CO + ZN₂.
Incomplete oxidation of hydrocarbons with oxygen:
CH₄ + ½O₂ = CO + 2H₂.
The synthesized carbon monoxide (II) undergoes conversion:
CO + H₂O = CO₂ + H₂.
Hydrogen produced from natural gas is the cheapest.
For the electrolysis of water, direct current is used, which is passed through a solution of NaOH or KOH (acids are not used to avoid corrosion of the equipment). In laboratory conditions, the material is obtained by electrolysis of water or as a result of the reaction between hydrochloric acid and zinc. However, ready-made factory material in cylinders is more often used.
This element is isolated from oil refining gases and coke oven gas by removing all other components gas mixture, since they liquefy more easily when deeply cooled.
This material began to be produced industrially at the end of the 18th century. Back then it was used to fill balloons. At the moment, hydrogen is widely used in industry, mainly in the chemical industry, for the production of ammonia.
Mass consumers of the substance are producers of methyl and other alcohols, synthetic gasoline and many other products. They are obtained by synthesis from carbon monoxide (II) and hydrogen. Hydrogene is used for the hydrogenation of heavy and solid liquid fuels, fats, etc., for the synthesis of HCl, hydrotreating of petroleum products, as well as in metal cutting/welding. The most important elements for nuclear energy are its isotopes - tritium and deuterium.
Biological role of hydrogen
About 10% of the mass of living organisms (on average) comes from this element. It is part of water and the most important groups of natural compounds, including proteins, nucleic acids, lipids, and carbohydrates. What is it used for?
This material plays a decisive role: in maintaining the spatial structure of proteins (quaternary), in implementing the principle of complementarity of nucleic acids (i.e. in the implementation and storage genetic information), generally in “recognition” at the molecular level.
The hydrogen ion H+ takes part in important dynamic reactions/processes in the body. Including: in biological oxidation, which provides living cells with energy, in biosynthesis reactions, in photosynthesis in plants, in bacterial photosynthesis and nitrogen fixation, in maintaining acid-base balance and homeostasis, in membrane transport processes. Along with carbon and oxygen, it forms the functional and structural basis of life phenomena.