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1. Complementary, Cooperative Ditopic Halogen Bonding and Electron Donor-Acceptor π-π Complexation in the Formation of Cocrystals

   https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27051527  

   Speetzen, Erin D.; Nwachukwu, Chideraa I.; Bowling, Nathan P.; Bosch, Eric (March 2022, Molecules)

   This study expands and combines concepts from two of our earlier studies. One study reported the complementary halogen bonding and π-π charge transfer complexation observed between isomeric electron rich 4-N,N-dimethylaminophenylethynylpyridines and the electron poor halogen bond donor, 1-(3,5-dinitrophenylethynyl)-2,3,5,6-tetrafluoro-4-iodobenzene while the second study elaborated the ditopic halogen bonding of activated pyrimidines. Leveraging our understanding on the combination of these non-covalent interactions, we describe cocrystallization featuring ditopic halogen bonding and π-stacking. Specifically, red cocrystals are formed between the ditopic electron poor halogen bond donor 1-(3,5-dinitrophenylethynyl)-2,4,6-triflouro-3,5-diiodobenzene and each of electron rich pyrimidines 2- and 5-(4-N,N-dimethyl-aminophenylethynyl)pyrimidine. The X-ray single crystal structures of these cocrystals are described in terms of halogen bonding and electron donor-acceptor π-complexation. Computations confirm that the donor-acceptor π-stacking interactions are consistently stronger than the halogen bonding interactions and that there is cooperativity between π-stacking and halogen bonding in the crystals. 

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2. Halogen Bonding in the Complexes of Brominated Electrophiles with Chloride Anions: From a Weak Supramolecular Interaction to a Covalent Br–Cl Bond

   https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst10121075  

   Loy, Cody; Zeller, Matthias; Rosokha, Sergiy V. (December 2020, Crystals)

   null (Ed.)

   The wide-range variation of the strength of halogen bonds (XB) not only facilitates a variety of applications of this interaction, but it also allows examining the relation (and interconversion) between supramolecular and covalent bonding. Herein, the Br…Cl halogen bonding in a series of complexes of bromosubstituted electrophiles (R-Br) with chloride anions were examined via X-ray crystallographic and computational methods. Six co-crystals showing such bonding were prepared by evaporation of solutions of R-Br and tetra-n-propylammonium chloride or using Cl− anions released in the nucleophilic reaction of 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane with dichloromethane in the presence of R-Br. The co-crystal comprised networks formed by 3:3 or 2:2 halogen bonding between R-Br and Cl−, with the XB lengths varying from 3.0 Å to 3.25 Å. Analysis of the crystallographic database revealed examples of associations with substantially longer and shorter Br…Cl separations. DFT computations of an extended series of R–Br…Cl− complexes confirmed that the judicious choice of brominated electrophile allows varying halogen Br…Cl bond strength and length gradually from the values common for the weak intermolecular complexes to that approaching a fully developed covalent bond. This continuity of halogen bond strength in the experimental (solid-state) and calculated associations indicates a fundamental link between the covalent and supramolecular bonding. 

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3. Halogen bonding organocatalysis enhanced through intramolecular hydrogen bonds

   https://doi.org/10.1039/d1cc05475a  

   Riel, Asia Marie; Decato, Daniel A.; Sun, Jiyu; Berryman, Orion B. (January 2022, Chemical Communications)

   Recent results indicate a halogen bond donor is strengthened through direct interaction with a hydrogen bond to the electron-rich belt of the halogen. Here, this Hydrogen Bond enhanced Halogen Bond (HBeXB) plays a clear role in a catalyst. Our HBeXB catalyst improves product conversion in a halide abstraction reaction over a traditional halogen bonding derivative. 

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4. Charge‐transfer Adducts vs Iodine(I) Complexes: Dual Role of Halogen Bonding in Reactions of Diiodine with N‐donor Bases

   https://doi.org/10.1002/cphc.202500076  

   Burnell, Amanda; Hardin, Maison; Zeller, Matthias; Rosokha, Sergiy_V (March 2025, ChemPhysChem)

   Abstract The interaction of diiodine with quinuclidine (QN) and 4‐dimethylaminopyridine (DMAP) in solutions with 1 : 1 molar ratio of reactants at room temperature produced (in essentially quantitative yields) pure charge‐transfer QN⋅I₂adducts and iodine(I) salt [DMAP‐I‐DMAP]I₃, respectively. In comparison, the quantitative formation of pure iodine (I) salt [QN‐I‐QN]I₅was observed for the room‐temperature reactions of QN with a 50 % excess of I₂, and the charge‐transfer adducts of I₂with DMAP (and other pyridines) were formed when reactions were carried out at low temperatures. Computational analysis related the switch from the formation of charge‐transfer adducts to iodine(I) complexes in these systems to the strength of the halogen bonding of diiodine to the N‐donor bases. It shows that while the halogen‐bonded adducts represent critical intermediates in the formation of iodine(I) complexes, exceedingly strong halogen bonding between diiodine and the base prevents any subsequent transformations. In other words, while halogen bonding usually facilitates electron and halogen transfer, the halogen‐bonded complexes may serve as “black holes” hindering any follow‐up processes if this intermolecular interaction is too strong. 

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5. Arylethynyl Helices Supported by π‐Stacking and Halogen Bonding

   https://doi.org/10.1002/cplu.202100104  

   Bowling, Nathan_P; Speetzen, Erin_D; Bosch, Eric (May 2021, ChemPlusChem)

   Abstract Co‐crystallization of a pyridyl‐containing arylethynyl (AE) moiety with 1,4‐diiodotetrafluorobenzene leads to unique, figure‐eight shaped helical motifs within the crystal lattice. A slight twist in the AE backbone allows each AE unit to simultaneously interact with haloarene units that are stacked on top of one another. Left‐handed (M) and right‐handed (P) helices are interspersed in a regular pattern throughout the crystal. The major driving forces for assembly are 1) halogen bonding between the pyridyl nitrogen atoms and the iodine substituents of the haloarene, with N⋅⋅⋅I distances between 2.81 and 2.84 Å, and 2) π‐π stacking of the haloarenes, with distances of approximately 3.57 Å between centroids. Halogen bonding and π‐π stacking not only work in concert, but also seem to mutually enhance one another. Calculations suggest that the presence of π‐π stacking modestly intensifies the halogen bonding interaction by <0.2 kcal/mol; likewise, halogen bonding to the haloarene enhances the π‐π stacking interaction by 0.59 kcal/mol. 

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