In chemistry, a halogen bond (XB or HaB [1] ) occurs when there is evidence of a net attractive interaction between an electrophilic region associated with a halogen atom in a molecular entity and a nucleophilic region in another, or the same, molecular entity. [2] Like a hydrogen bond, the result is not a formal chemical bond, but rather a strong electrostatic attraction. [3] [4] Mathematically, the interaction can be decomposed in two terms: one describing an electrostatic, orbital-mixing charge-transfer and another describing electron-cloud dispersion. Halogen bonds find application in supramolecular chemistry; [3] [4] [5] drug design and biochemistry; [6] [7] crystal engineering [7] and liquid crystals; [3] and organic catalysis. [7]
Halogen bonds occur when a halogen atom is electrostatically attracted to a partial negative charge. Necessarily, the atom must be covalently bonded in an antipodal σ-bond; the electron concentration associated with that bond leaves a positively charged "hole" on the other side. [8] Although all halogens can theoretically participate in halogen bonds, the σ-hole shrinks if the electron cloud in question polarizes poorly or the halogen is so electronegative as to polarize the associated σ-bond. [3] [9] Consequently halogen-bond propensity follows the trend [10] [Note 1] F < Cl < Br < I.
There is no clear distinction between halogen bonds and expanded octet partial bonds; what is superficially a halogen bond may well turn out to be a full bond in an unexpectedly relevant resonance structure. [11] [12] [13] [14]
A halogen bond is almost collinear with the halogen atom's other, conventional bond, but the geometry of the electron-charge donor may be much more complex.
Anions are usually better halogen-bond acceptors than neutral species: the more dissociated an ion pair is, the stronger the halogen bond formed with the anion. [17]
A parallel relationship can easily be drawn between halogen bonding and hydrogen bonding. Both interactions revolve around an electron donor/electron acceptor relationship, between a halogen-like atom and an electron-dense one. But halogen bonding is both much stronger and more sensitive to direction than hydrogen bonding. A typical hydrogen bond has energy of formation 20 kJ/mol; known halogen bond energies range from 10–200 kJ/mol. [16]
The σ-hole concept readily extends to pnictogen, chalcogen and aerogen bonds, corresponding to atoms of Groups 15, 16 and 18 (respectively). [18]
In 1814, Jean-Jacques Colin discovered (to his surprise) that a mixture of dry gaseous ammonia and iodine formed a shiny, metallic-appearing liquid. Frederick Guthrie established the precise composition of the resulting I2···NH3 complex fifty years later, but the physical processes underlying the molecular interaction remained mysterious until the development of Robert S. Mulliken's theory of inner-sphere and outer-sphere interactions. [19] In Mulliken's categorization, the intermolecular interactions associated with small partial charges affect only the "inner sphere" of an atom's electron distribution; the electron redistribution associated with Lewis adducts affects the "outer sphere" instead. [20]
Then, in 1954, Odd Hassel fruitfully applied the distinction to rationalize the X-ray diffraction patterns associated with a mixture of 1,4-dioxane and bromine. [21] The patterns suggested that only 2.71 Å separated the dioxane oxygen atoms and bromine atoms, much closer than the sum (3.35 Å) of the atoms' van der Waals radii; and that the angle between the O−Br and Br−Br bond was about 180°. From these facts, Hassel concluded that halogen atoms are directly linked to electron pair donors in a direction with a bond direction that coincides with the axes of the orbitals of the lone pairs in the electron pair donor molecule. [8] For this work, Hassel was awarded the 1969 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. [22]
Dumas and coworkers first coined the term "halogen bond" in 1978, during their investigations into complexes of CCl4, CBr4, SiCl4, and SiBr4 with tetrahydrofuran, tetrahydropyran, pyridine, anisole, and di-n-butyl ether in organic solvents. [23]
However, it was not until the mid-1990s, that the nature and applications of the halogen bond began to be intensively studied. Through systematic and extensive microwave spectroscopy of gas-phase halogen bond adducts, Legon and coworkers drew attention to the similarities between halogen-bonding and better-known hydrogen-bonding interactions. [24]
In 2007, computational calculations by Politzer and Murray showed that an anisotropic electron density distribution around the halogen nucleus — the "σ-hole" [9] — underlay the high directionality of the halogen bond. [25] This hole was then experimentally observed using Kelvin probe force microscopy. [26] [27]
In 2020, Kellett et al. showed that halogen bonds also have a π-covalent character similar to metal coordination bonds. [28] In August 2023 the "π-hole" was too experimentally observed [29] [30]
The strength and directionality of halogen bonds are a key tool in the discipline of crystal engineering, which attempts to shape crystal structures through close control of intermolecular interactions. [32] Halogen bonds can stabilize copolymers [33] [34] or induce mesomorphism in otherwise isotropic liquids. [35] Indeed, halogen bond-induced liquid crystalline phases are known in both alkoxystilbazoles [35] and silsesquioxanes (pictured). [31] Alternatively, the steric sensitivity of halogen bonds can cause bulky molecules to crystallize into porous structures; in one notable case, halogen bonds between iodine and aromatic π-orbitals caused molecules to crystallize into a pattern that was nearly 40% void. [36]
Conjugated polymers offer the tantalizing possibility of organic molecules with a manipulable electronic band structure, but current methods for production have an uncontrolled topology. Sun, Lauher, and Goroff discovered that certain amides ensure a linear polymerization of poly(diiododiacetylene). The underlying mechanism is a self-organization of the amides via hydrogen bonds that then transfers to the diiododiacetylene monomers via halogen bonds. Although pure diiododiacetylene crystals do not polymerize spontaneously, the halogen-bond induced organization is sufficiently strong that the cocrystals do spontaneously polymerize. [37]
Most biological macromolecules contain few or no halogen atoms. But when molecules do contain halogens, halogen bonds are often essential to understanding molecular conformation. Computational studies suggest that known halogenated nucleobases form halogen bonds with oxygen, nitrogen, or sulfur in vitro. Interestingly, oxygen atoms typically do not attract halogens with their lone pairs, but rather the π electrons in the carbonyl or amide group. [6]
Halogen bonding can be significant in drug design as well. For example, inhibitor IDD 594 binds to human aldose reductase through a bromine halogen bond, as shown in the figure. The molecules fail to bind to each other if similar aldehyde reductase replaces the enzyme, or chlorine replaces the drug halogen, because the variant geometries inhibit the halogen bond. [38]
In chemistry, a hydrogen bond is primarily an electrostatic force of attraction between a hydrogen (H) atom which is covalently bonded to a more electronegative "donor" atom or group (Dn), and another electronegative atom bearing a lone pair of electrons—the hydrogen bond acceptor (Ac). Such an interacting system is generally denoted Dn−H···Ac, where the solid line denotes a polar covalent bond, and the dotted or dashed line indicates the hydrogen bond. The most frequent donor and acceptor atoms are the period 2 elements nitrogen (N), oxygen (O), and fluorine (F).
An intermolecular force is the force that mediates interaction between molecules, including the electromagnetic forces of attraction or repulsion which act between atoms and other types of neighbouring particles, e.g. atoms or ions. Intermolecular forces are weak relative to intramolecular forces – the forces which hold a molecule together. For example, the covalent bond, involving sharing electron pairs between atoms, is much stronger than the forces present between neighboring molecules. Both sets of forces are essential parts of force fields frequently used in molecular mechanics.
In chemistry, catenation is the bonding of atoms of the same element into a series, called a chain. A chain or a ring shape may be open if its ends are not bonded to each other, or closed if they are bonded in a ring. The words to catenate and catenation reflect the Latin root catena, "chain".
Supramolecular chemistry refers to the branch of chemistry concerning chemical systems composed of a discrete number of molecules. The strength of the forces responsible for spatial organization of the system range from weak intermolecular forces, electrostatic charge, or hydrogen bonding to strong covalent bonding, provided that the electronic coupling strength remains small relative to the energy parameters of the component. While traditional chemistry concentrates on the covalent bond, supramolecular chemistry examines the weaker and reversible non-covalent interactions between molecules. These forces include hydrogen bonding, metal coordination, hydrophobic forces, van der Waals forces, pi–pi interactions and electrostatic effects.
In chemistry, a hypervalent molecule is a molecule that contains one or more main group elements apparently bearing more than eight electrons in their valence shells. Phosphorus pentachloride, sulfur hexafluoride, chlorine trifluoride, the chlorite ion in chlorous acid and the triiodide ion are examples of hypervalent molecules.
In chemistry, charge-transfer (CT) complex, or electron donor-acceptor complex, describes a type of supramolecular assembly of two or more molecules or ions. The assembly consists of two molecules that self-attract through electrostatic forces, i.e., one has at least partial negative charge and the partner has partial positive charge, referred to respectively as the electron acceptor and electron donor. In some cases, the degree of charge transfer is "complete", such that the CT complex can be classified as a salt. In other cases, the charge-transfer association is weak, and the interaction can be disrupted easily by polar solvents.
In chemistry, a non-covalent interaction differs from a covalent bond in that it does not involve the sharing of electrons, but rather involves more dispersed variations of electromagnetic interactions between molecules or within a molecule. The chemical energy released in the formation of non-covalent interactions is typically on the order of 1–5 kcal/mol. Non-covalent interactions can be classified into different categories, such as electrostatic, π-effects, van der Waals forces, and hydrophobic effects.
Crystal engineering studies the design and synthesis of solid-state structures with desired properties through deliberate control of intermolecular interactions. It is an interdisciplinary academic field, bridging solid-state and supramolecular chemistry.
A molecular solid is a solid consisting of discrete molecules. The cohesive forces that bind the molecules together are van der Waals forces, dipole–dipole interactions, quadrupole interactions, π–π interactions, hydrogen bonding, halogen bonding, London dispersion forces, and in some molecular solids, coulombic interactions. Van der Waals, dipole interactions, quadrupole interactions, π–π interactions, hydrogen bonding, and halogen bonding are typically much weaker than the forces holding together other solids: metallic, ionic, and network solids. Intermolecular interactions typically do not involve delocalized electrons, unlike metallic and certain covalent bonds. Exceptions are charge-transfer complexes such as the tetrathiafulvane-tetracyanoquinodimethane (TTF-TCNQ), a radical ion salt. These differences in the strength of force and electronic characteristics from other types of solids give rise to the unique mechanical, electronic, and thermal properties of molecular solids.
In polymer chemistry and materials science, the term "polymer" refers to large molecules whose structure is composed of multiple repeating units. Supramolecular polymers are a new category of polymers that can potentially be used for material applications beyond the limits of conventional polymers. By definition, supramolecular polymers are polymeric arrays of monomeric units that are connected by reversible and highly directional secondary interactions–that is, non-covalent bonds. These non-covalent interactions include van der Waals interactions, hydrogen bonding, Coulomb or ionic interactions, π-π stacking, metal coordination, halogen bonding, chalcogen bonding, and host–guest interaction. The direction and strength of the interactions are precisely tuned so that the array of molecules behaves as a polymer in dilute and concentrated solution, as well as in the bulk.
The carbon–fluorine bond is a polar covalent bond between carbon and fluorine that is a component of all organofluorine compounds. It is one of the strongest single bonds in chemistry, and relatively short, due to its partial ionic character. The bond also strengthens and shortens as more fluorines are added to the same carbon on a chemical compound. As such, fluoroalkanes like tetrafluoromethane are some of the most unreactive organic compounds.
Physical organic chemistry, a term coined by Louis Hammett in 1940, refers to a discipline of organic chemistry that focuses on the relationship between chemical structures and reactivity, in particular, applying experimental tools of physical chemistry to the study of organic molecules. Specific focal points of study include the rates of organic reactions, the relative chemical stabilities of the starting materials, reactive intermediates, transition states, and products of chemical reactions, and non-covalent aspects of solvation and molecular interactions that influence chemical reactivity. Such studies provide theoretical and practical frameworks to understand how changes in structure in solution or solid-state contexts impact reaction mechanism and rate for each organic reaction of interest.
Unlike its lighter congeners, the halogen iodine forms a number of stable organic compounds, in which iodine exhibits higher formal oxidation states than -1 or coordination number exceeding 1. These are the hypervalent organoiodines, often called iodanes after the IUPAC rule used to name them.
Giuseppe Resnati is an Italian chemist with interests in supramolecular chemistry and fluorine chemistry. He has a particular focus on self-assembly processes driven by halogen bonds, chalcogen bonds, and pnictogen bonds. His results on the attractive non-covalent interactions wherein atoms act as electrophiles thanks to the anisotropic distribution of the electron density typical for bonded atoms, prompted a systematic rationalization and categorization of many different weak bonds formed by many elements of the p- and d-blocks of the periodic table.
Pierangelo Metrangolo is an Italian chemist with interests in supramolecular chemistry and functional materials. He also has an interest in crystal engineering, in particular by using the halogen bond. He is Vice-President and President-Elect of the Physical and Biophysical Chemistry Division of IUPAC.
In chemistry, a chalcogen bond (ChB) is an attractive interaction in the family of σ-hole interactions, along with halogen bonds. Electrostatic, charge-transfer (CT) and dispersion terms have been identified as contributing to this type of interaction. In terms of CT contribution, this family of attractive interactions has been modeled as an electron donor interacting with the σ* orbital of a C-X bond of the bond donor. In terms of electrostatic interactions, the molecular electrostatic potential (MEP) maps is often invoked to visualize the electron density of the donor and an electrophilic region on the acceptor, where the potential is depleted, referred to as a σ-hole. ChBs, much like hydrogen and halogen bonds, have been invoked in various non-covalent interactions, such as protein folding, crystal engineering, self-assembly, catalysis, transport, sensing, templation, and drug design.
Diiodoacetylene is the organoiodine compound with the formula C2I2. It is a white, volatile solid that dissolves in organic solvents. It is prepared by iodination of trimethylsilylacetylene. Although samples explode above 80 °C, diiodoacetylene is the most readily handled of the dihaloacetylenes. Dichloroacetylene, for example, is more volatile and more explosive. As confirmed by X-ray crystallography, diiodoacetylene is linear. It is however a shock, heat and friction sensitive compound. Like other haloalkynes, diiodoacetylene is a strong halogen bond donor.
Dispersion stabilized molecules are molecules where the London dispersion force (LDF), a non-covalent attractive force between atoms and molecules, plays a significant role in promoting the molecule's stability. Distinct from steric hindrance, dispersion stabilization has only recently been considered in depth by organic and inorganic chemists after earlier gaining prominence in protein science and supramolecular chemistry. Although usually weaker than covalent bonding and other forms of non-covalent interactions like hydrogen bonding, dispersion forces are known to be a significant if not dominating stabilizing force in certain organic, inorganic, and main group molecules, stabilizing otherwise reactive moieties and exotic bonding.
In chemistry, sigma hole interactions are a family of intermolecular forces that can occur between several classes of molecules and arise from an energetically stabilizing interaction between a positively-charged site, termed a sigma hole, and a negatively-charged site, typically a lone pair, on different atoms that are not covalently bonded to each other. These interactions are usually rationalized primarily via dispersion, electrostatics, and electron delocalization and are characterized by a strong directional preference that allows control over supramolecular chemistry.
In chemistry, a pnictogen bond (PnB) is a non-covalent interaction, occurring where there is a net attractive force between an electrophilic region on a 'donor' pnictogen atom (Pn) in a molecule, and a nucleophilic region on an 'acceptor' atom, which may be in the same or another molecule. Closely related to halogen and chalcogen bonding, pnictogen bonds are a form of non-covalent interaction which can be considered in terms of charge-transfer and electrostatic interactions.
The electrostatic interaction between the Br atom of the inhibitor and the OG of Thr 113 has an unusually short distance of 2.973(4) Å. The short contact between Br and Thr 113 OG explains the selectivity of IDD 594 towards AR, because in aldehyde reductase the Thr residue is replaced by Tyr....The IDD 594-Br/Thr 113-OG interaction also contributes to the potency of the inhibitor. Other halogens, such as chlorine, cannot engage in a similar interaction (due to its lower polarizability).