Noncovalent interaction

A noncovalent interaction is an attraction or repulsion between atoms, molecules, or molecular regions that does not involve forming or breaking covalent bonds.

Electrostatic interaction: A force between charged particles or charge distributions, described by Coulomb’s law. Charge–charge and charge–dipole forces provide the basis for several noncovalent interactions.
Coulomb's law: A law giving the electrostatic force between point charges as proportional to their product and inversely proportional to squared separation. It predicts how charge-based attractions and repulsions vary with distance.
Protein folding: The process by which a protein adopts a three-dimensional structure shaped by its amino-acid sequence and environment. Hydrogen bonds, dispersion, ionic attractions, and hydrophobic effects collectively stabilize folded structures.
Covalent bond: A chemical bond formed when atoms share one or more pairs of electrons. It defines the bond-forming process excluded by the concept’s defining distinction.
Binding affinity: The strength of association between two molecular partners, commonly quantified by an equilibrium dissociation constant. The combined energetic effects of noncovalent contacts determine how tightly partners associate.
London dispersion force: An attraction caused by correlated fluctuations in electron distributions that create instantaneous and induced dipoles. It explains attraction between nonpolar regions that lack permanent charges or dipoles.
Electric dipole moment: A vector measure of the separation and magnitude of positive and negative charge in a system. Dipole moments help explain molecular orientation and interactions between polar molecules.
Molecular recognition: The selective association of molecules through complementary shapes and chemical properties. Specific noncovalent contacts enable partners to distinguish among potential binding targets.
Ionic bond: A chemical bond arising from electrostatic attraction between oppositely charged ions. Its classification as a bond contrasts with electrostatic attractions that do not create an ionic solid.
Cooperativity: A change in one binding event’s effect on the likelihood of another binding event in the same system. Networks of noncovalent contacts can make binding events reinforce or inhibit one another.

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