Hexahalogenated and their mixed benzene derivatives as prototypes for the understanding of halogen···halogen intramolecular interactions: New insights from combined DFT, QTAIM-, and RDG-based NCI analyses

Tetrel Bonding in Anion Recognition: A First Principles Investigation

Twenty-five molecule-anion complex systems [I₄Tt···X^-] (Tt = C, Si, Ge, Sn and Pb; X = F, Cl, Br, I and At) were examined using density functional theory (ωB97X-D) and ab initio (MP2 and CCSD) methods to demonstrate the ability of the tetrel atoms in molecular entities, I₄Tt, to recognize the halide anions when in close proximity. The tetrel bond strength for the [I₄C···X^-] series and [I₄Tt···X^-] (Tt = Si, Sn; X = I, At), was weak-to-moderate, whereas that in the remaining 16 complexes was dative tetrel bond type with very large interaction energies and short Tt···X close contact distances. The basis set superposition error corrected interaction energies calculated with the highest-level theory applied, [CCSD(T)/def2-TZVPPD], ranged from -3.0 to -112.2 kcal mol^-1. The significant variation in interaction energies was realized as a result of different levels of tetrel bonding environment between the interacting partners at the equilibrium geometries of the complex systems. Although the ωB97X-D computed intermolecular geometries and interaction energies of a majority of the [I₄Tt···X^-] complexes were close to those predicted by the highest level of theory, the MP2 results were shown to be misleading for some of these systems. To provide insight into the nature of the intermolecular chemical bonding environment in the 25 molecule-anion complexes investigated, we discussed the charge-density-based topological and isosurface features that emanated from the application of the quantum theory of atoms in molecules and independent gradient model approaches, respectively.

The Pnictogen Bond: The Covalently Bound Arsenic Atom in Molecular Entities in Crystals as a Pnictogen Bond Donor

In chemical systems, the arsenic-centered pnictogen bond, or simply the arsenic bond, occurs when there is evidence of a net attractive interaction between the electrophilic region associated with a covalently or coordinately bound arsenic atom in a molecular entity and a nucleophile in another or the same molecular entity. It is the third member of the family of pnictogen bonds formed by the third atom of the pnictogen family, Group 15 of the periodic table, and is an inter- or intramolecular noncovalent interaction. In this overview, we present several illustrative crystal structures deposited into the Cambridge Structure Database (CSD) and the Inorganic Chemistry Structural Database (ICSD) during the last and current centuries to demonstrate that the arsenic atom in molecular entities has a significant ability to act as an electrophilic agent to make an attractive engagement with nucleophiles when in close vicinity, thereby forming σ-hole or π-hole interactions, and hence driving (in part, at least) the overall stability of the system’s crystalline phase. This overview does not include results from theoretical simulations reported by others as none of them address the signatory details of As-centered pnictogen bonds. Rather, we aimed at highlighting the interaction modes of arsenic-centered σ- and π-holes in the rationale design of crystal lattices to demonstrate that such interactions are abundant in crystalline materials, but care has to be taken to identify them as is usually done with the much more widely known noncovalent interactions in chemical systems, halogen bonding and hydrogen bonding. We also demonstrate that As-centered pnictogen bonds are usually accompanied by other primary and secondary interactions, which reinforce their occurrence and strength in most of the crystal structures illustrated. A statistical analysis of structures deposited into the CSD was performed for each interaction type As···D (D = N, O, S, Se, Te, F, Cl, Br, I, arene’s π system), thus providing insight into the typical nature of As···D interaction distances and ∠R–As···D bond angles of these interactions in crystals, where R is the remainder of the molecular entity.

Fluoromaticity: The Molecular Orbital Contributions of Fluorine Substituents to the π-Systems of Aromatic Rings

The addition of fluorine atoms to an aromatic ring brings about an additional set of π-bonding and antibonding orbitals culminating after the addition of the sixth fluorine with a new set of π-aromatic-like orbitals that affect the molecule in a way that we will refer to hereafter as "fluoromaticity". Depending on the number and position of the fluorine atoms, the contributed π-orbitals can even further stabilize the ring leading to smaller bond lengths within the ring and higher resistance to addition reactions. This added ring stability partially explains the high thermostability and chemical resistance found in polymers containing fluorinated aromatics in their architecture. A similar molecular orbital effect is seen with the addition of other halogen atoms to aromatic rings, though to a much smaller degree and not resulting in the additional ring stability.

Speculative assessment, molecular composition, PDOS, topology exploration (ELF, LOL, RDG), ligand-protein interactions, on 5-bromo-3-nitropyridine-2-carbonitrile

Computational calculations of 5-bromo-3-nitropyridine-2-carbonitrile (5B3N2C) on molecular structure and on energy are implemented using the 6-311++G(d,p) basis set by DFT/B3LYP method. The UV-Vis spectrum of 5B3N2C was obtained by TD-DFT with chloroform as a solvent. The analysis of molecular electrostatic potential (MEP) and frontier molecular orbital (FMO) were used to evaluate, the entire electron density and organic reactive sites of 5B3N2C. The electron-hole conversions were conjointly deliberated. Donor-acceptor interactions (NBO) analysis examines the intra-and intermolecular charge transfer, hyper conjugate interaction of the compound. The orbital molecular contributions are evaluated by density of states (DOS and PDOS). To discern the reactivity of the molecule, topology analyses were done. The biological prominence of the 5B3N2C molecule was investigated in a pertinent study of molecular docking with target protein 3CEJ exhibiting the centromere associated protein inhibitor property. Molecular Dynamics simulations were done to assess the stability of the complex. 5B3N2C physiochemical parameters were also compared to those of widely viable medications Ispinesib and Lonafarnib.

Nature of halogen-centered intermolecular interactions in crystal growth and design: Fluorine-centered interactions in dimers in crystalline hexafluoropropylene as a prototype

The wide occurrence of halogen-centered noncovalent interactions in crystal growth and design prompted this study, which includes a mini review of recent advances in the field. Particular emphasis is placed on providing compelling theoretical evidence of the formation of these interactions between sites of positive electrostatic potential, as well as between sites of negative electrostatic potential, localized on the electrostatic surfaces of the bound fluorine atoms in a prototypical system, hexafluoropropylene (C₃ F₆ ), upon its interaction with another same molecule to form (C₃ F₆ )₂ dimers. The existence of σ- and π-hole interactions is shown for the stable dimers. Even so, weakly bound interactions locally responsible in holding the molecular fragments together cannot and should not be overlooked since they are partly responsible for determining the overall geometry of the crystal. The results of combined quantum theory of atoms in molecules, molecular electrostatic surface potential, and reduced density gradient noncovalent interaction analyses showed that these latter interactions do indeed play a role in the stability and growth of crystalline C₃ F₆ itself and the (C₃ F₆ )₂ dimers. A symmetry adapted perturbation theory energy decomposition analysis leads to the conclusion that a great majority of the (C₃ F₆ )₂ dimers examined are the consequence of dispersion (and electrostatics), with nonnegligible contribution from polarization, which together competes with an exchange repulsion component to determine the equilibrium geometries. In a few structures of the (C₃ F₆ )₂ dimer, the fluorine is found to serve as a six-center five-bond donor/acceptor, as found for carbon in other systems (Malischewski and Seppelt, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2017, 56, 368). © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Is the Fluorine in Molecules Dispersive? Is Molecular Electrostatic Potential a Valid Property to Explore Fluorine-Centered Non-Covalent Interactions?

Can two sites of positive electrostatic potential localized on the outer surfaces of two halogen atoms (and especially fluorine) in different molecular domains attract each other to form a non-covalent engagement? The answer, perhaps counterintuitive, is yes as shown here using the electronic structures and binding energies of the interactions for a series of 22 binary complexes formed between identical or different atomic domains in similar or related halogen-substituted molecules containing fluorine. These were obtained using various computational approaches, including density functional and ab initio first-principles theories with M06-2X, RHF, MP2 and CCSD(T). The physical chemistry of non-covalent bonding interactions in these complexes was explored using both Quantum Theory of Atoms in Molecules and Symmetry Adapted Perturbation Theories. The surface reactivity of the 17 monomers was examined using the Molecular Electrostatic Surface Potential approach. We have demonstrated inter alia that the dispersion term, the significance of which is not always appreciated, which emerges either from an energy decomposition analysis, or from a correlated calculation, plays a structure-determining role, although other contributions arising from electrostatic, exchange-repulsion and polarization effects are also important. The 0.0010 a.u. isodensity envelope, often used for mapping the electrostatic potential is found to provide incorrect information about the complete nature of the surface reactive sites on some of the isolated monomers, and can lead to a misinterpretation of the results obtained.

A DFT assessment of some physical properties of iodine-centered halogen bonding and other non-covalent interactions in some experimentally reported crystal geometries

A set of six binary complexes that feature iodine-centered halogen bonding, extracted from structures deposited in the Cambridge Structure Database, has been examined computationally using density functional theory calculations with the M06-2X global hybrid, and dispersion corrected B3LYP-D3 and B97-D3, to determine their equilibrium geometries, binding energies and electronic properties. The results show that gas phase calculations are very informative in evaluating what occurs in the solid state, even though these calculations ignore the importance of lattice packing and counter ion effects. The calculated binding energies for the non-covalent interactions responsible for these complexes lie between -4.15 and -7.48 kcal mol-1 (M06-2X), which enables us to characterize them as weak-to-moderate in strength. The basis set superposition error energies are calculated to vary between 0.60 and 2.42 kcal mol-1 for all the complexes examined, even though an all-electron QZP basis set used in the analysis was of quadrupole-ζ (plus polarization) quality. Dispersion is found to have a profound effect on the binding energy of some of these complexes, and was estimated to be as large as 5.0 kcal mol-1. For one complex, the crystal geometry could not be precisely reproduced using a gas phase calculation. While both halogen- and hydrogen-bonding interactions were found competitive, they cooperate with each other to determine the stable configuration of the binary complex. The molecular electrostatic surface potential, quantum theory of atoms in molecules, and reduced density gradient non-covalent Interaction models were utilized to arrive at a fundamental understanding of the various inter- and intra-molecular molecular interactions involved, as well as some other previously-overlooked non-covalent interactions that emerge in the modelling.

Revealing Factors Influencing the Fluorine-Centered Non-Covalent Interactions in Some Fluorine-Substituted Molecular Complexes: Insights from First-Principles Studies

We examine the equilibrium structure and properties of six fully or partially fluorinated hydrocarbons and several of their binary complexes using computational methods. In the monomers, the electrostatic surface of the fluorine is predicted to be either entirely negative or weakly positive. However, its lateral sites are always negative. This enables the fluorine to display an anisotropic distribution of charge density on its electrostatic surface. While this is the electrostatic surface scenario of the fluorine atom, its negative sites in some of these monomers are shown to have the potential to engage in attractive engagements with the negative site(s) on the same atom in another molecule of the same type, or a molecule of a different type, to form bimolecular complexes. This is revealed by analyzing the results of current state-of-the-art computational approaches such as DFT, together with those obtained from the quantum theory of atoms in molecules, molecular electrostatic surface potential and symmetry adapted perturbation theories. We demonstrate that the intermolecular interaction energy arising in part from the universal London dispersion, which has been underappreciated for decades, is an essential factor in explaining the attraction between the negative sites, although energy arising from polarization strengthens the extent of the intermolecular interactions in these complexes.

Do surfaces of positive electrostatic potential on different halogen derivatives in molecules attract? like attracting like!

Coulomb's law states that like charges repel, and unlike charges attract. However, it has recently been theoretically revealed that two similarly charged conducting spheres will almost always attract each other when both are in close proximity. Using multiscale first principles calculations, we illustrate practical examples of several intermolecular complexes that are formed by the consequences of attraction between positive atomic sites of similar or dissimilar electrostatic surface potential on interacting molecules. The results of the quantum theory of atoms in molecules and symmetry adapted perturbation theory support the attraction between the positive sites, characterizing the F•••X (X = F, Cl, Br) intermolecular interactions in a series of 20 binary complexes as closed-shell type, although the molecular electrostatic surface potential approach does not (a failure!). Dispersion that has an r^-6 dependence, where r is the equilibrium distance of separation, is found to be the sole driving force pushing the two positive sites to attract. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Can an entirely negative fluorine in a molecule, viz. perfluorobenzene, interact attractively with the entirely negative site(s) on another molecule(s)? Like liking like!

The study presents the possibility for the formation of attractive intermolecular interactions between various entirely negative Lewis bases, leading to the formation of the thirteen isolated binary complexes examined.