In chemistry, a protic solvent is a solvent that has a hydrogen atom bound to an oxygen, a nitrogen, or fluoride. In general terms, any solvent that contains a labile H+ is called a protic solvent. The molecules of such solvents readily donate protons to solutes, often via hydrogen bonding. Water is the most common protic solvent. Conversely, polar aprotic solvents cannot donate protons but still have the ability to dissolve many salts.