Comparative computational study of model halogen-bonded complexes of FKrCl.

Quantum chemical calculations for the FKrCl molecule at various levels of theory were performed and suggest that this molecule is metastable and may be amenable to experimental synthesis under cryogenic conditions. The FKrCl molecule forms weak halogen-bonded complexes FKrCl···Y with small molecules like FH and H2O and its computed properties were compared with those for analogous complexes of its precursor, FCl, and its rare gas hydride counterpart, FKrH. The cooperative effect of additional noncovalent interactions introduced at the F atom in the FKrCl···Y dimer (to give Z···FKrCl···Y trimers) showed a general strengthening of the intermolecular interactions in the order halogen bond < hydrogen bond < beryllium bond < lithium bond.

The effect of atomic ions on model σ-hole bonded complexes of AH3Y (A = C, Si, Ge; Y = F, Cl, Br).

A computational study of ionic X···AH3-Y complexes (X = F(-), Cl(-), Br(-), Li(+), Be(2+); A = C, Si, Ge; Y = F, Cl, Br) predicted optimized structures which are held together by a combination of attractive forces, including ion-dipole and ion-σ-hole electrostatic interactions, and polarization forces. The trends (with variation in the halogen Y) for selected properties were rationalized by considering the electron density shifts due to the ion's electric field. Although it has been found previously that the trends for binding energies in neutral complexes follow the sigma-hole strength, the present study found that the dependence on the dipole polarizability of the A-Y bond can explain the trends for binding energies in these more strongly bound ionic complexes.

Variation of sigma-hole magnitude with M valence electron population in MX(n)Y(4-n) molecules (n = 1-4; M = C, Si, Ge; X, Y = F, Cl, Br).

Sigma holes are described as electron-deficient regions on atoms, particularly along the extension of covalent bonds, due to non-uniform electron density distribution on the surface of these atoms. A computational study of MX(n)Y(4-n) molecules (n = 1-4; M = C, Si, Ge; X, Y = F, Cl, Br) was undertaken and it is shown that the relative sigma hole potentials on M due to X-M and Y-M can be adequately explained in terms of the variation in the valence electron population of the central M atom. A model is proposed for the depletion of the M valence electron population which explains the trends in sigma hole strengths, especially those that cannot be accounted for solely on the basis of relative electronegativities.

Cooperative effects in novel LiF∕HF⋯LiF⋯XF (X = F, Cl, Br) clusters.

Highly stable trimeric clusters of general formula LiF∕HF⋯LiF⋯XF (X = F, Cl, Br) are predicted computationally. These clusters involve a LiF⋯XF dyad, with both the positively charged Li and negatively charged F atom of LiF non-covalently bonded to the X atom of XF. A third molecule (LiF or HF) is complexed to this dyad via ionic-type F⋯Li and Li(H)⋯F interactions to form a substantially stronger cluster.

Communication: An unusual halogen-bonding motif: the LiBr···BrF dimer as a model system.

A stable complex, LiBr···BrF, is predicted in which the negative Br atom of LiBr is anchored to the Br atom of BrF by a halogen bond, while the positively charged Li atom interacts with the lone pair electron density on the Br atom of BrF in a direction roughly perpendicular to the halogen bond. As far as we are aware, this is the first reported instance of an atom of one diatomic molecule (Br of BrF) being bonded to two different, oppositely charged atoms (Li and Br) of another diatomic molecule (LiBr). Other less stable dimers of LiBr and BrF were predicted and compared with this novel complex.

Cooperative effects of noncovalent bonds to the Br atom of halogen-bonded H3N...BrZ and HCN...BrZ (Z = F, Br) complexes.

A series of complexes formed between halogen-bonded H(3)N/HCN...BrZ (Z = Br, F) dimers and H(3)N/HCN...BrZ...XY (XY = HF, ClF, BeH(2), LiF) trimers were investigated at the MP2 and B3LYP levels of theory using a 6-31++G(d,p) basis set. Optimized structures, interaction energies, and other properties of interest were obtained. The addition of XY to the H(3)N/HCN...BrZ dyad leads to enhanced intermolecular binding with respect to the isolated monomers. This enhanced binding receives contributions from the electrostatic and inductive forces between the constituent pairs, with, in some instances, substantial three-body non-additive contributions to the binding energy. It was found that the XY = LiF interaction causes the greatest distortion of the H(3)N/HCN...BrZ halogen bond from the preferred linear orientation and also provides the strongest binding energy via the nonadditive energy.