Experimental and computational thermochemistry: how strong is the intramolecular hydrogen bond in alkyl 2-hydroxybenzoates (salicylates).

Hydrogen bonding (HB) is a fascinating phenomenon that exhibits unusual properties in organic and biomolecules. The qualitative manifestation of hydrogen bonds is known in numerous chemical processes. However, quantifying HB strength is a challenging task, especially in the case of intra-molecular hydrogen bonds.