Experimental and theoretical studies on the nature of weak nonbonded interactions between divalent selenium and halogen atoms.

To investigate the nature of weak nonbonded selenium...halogen interactions (Se...X interactions; X = F, Cl, and Br), three types of model compounds [2-(CH(2)X)C(6)H(4)SeY (1-3), 3-(CH(2)X)-2-C(10)H(6)SeY (4-6), and 2-XC(6)H(4)CH(2)SeY (7-9); Y = CN, Cl, Br, SeAr, and Me] were synthesized, and their (77)Se NMR spectroscopic behaviors were analyzed in CDCl(3). The gradual upfield shifts of (77)Se NMR absorptions observed for series 1-3 and 4-6 suggested that the strength of Se...X interaction decreases in the order of Se...F > Se...Cl > Se...Br. The quantum chemical calculations at the B3LYP/631H level using the polarizable continuum model (PCM) revealed that the most stable conformer for 1-3 is the one with an intramolecular short Se...X atomic contact in CHCl(3) (epsilon = 4.9) and also that the n(X) --> sigma(Se-Y) orbital interaction (E(Se...X)) can reasonably explain the order of strength for the Se...X interactions. On the other hand, the (77)Se NMR absorptions observed for series 7-9 did not shift significantly from the reference compounds (C(6)H(5)CH(2)SeY), indicating the absence of the Se...X interaction for 7-9 presumably due to attenuation of basicity for the halogen atom that is substituted directly to the aromatic ring. These observations suggested that the n(X) --> sigma(Se-Y) orbital interaction is a dominant factor for formation of weak Se...X interactions. Electron correlation was also suggested to be important for the stability.