How do halogen bonds (S-O⋯I, N-O⋯I and C-O⋯I) and halogen-halogen contacts (C-I⋯I-C, C-F⋯F-C) subsist in crystal structures? A quantum chemical insight.

Thirteen X-ray crystal structures containing various non-covalent interactions such as halogen bonds, halogen-halogen contacts and hydrogen bonds (I⋯N, I⋯F, I⋯I, F⋯F, I⋯H and F⋯H) were considered and investigated using the DFT-D3 method (B97D/def2-QZVP). The interaction energies were calculated at MO62X/def2-QZVP and MP2/aug-cc-pvDZ level of theories. The higher interaction and dispersion energies (2nd crystal) of -9.58 kcal mol and -7.10 kcal mol observed for 1,4-di-iodotetrafluorobenzene bis [bis (2-phenylethyl) sulfoxide] structure indicates the most stable geometrical arrangement in the crystal packing. The electrostatic potential values calculated for all crystal structures have a positive σ-hole, which aids understanding of the nature of σ-hole bonds. The significance of the existence of halogen bonds in crystal packing environments was authenticated by replacing iodine atoms by bromine and chlorine atoms. Nucleus independent chemical shift analysis reported on the resonance contribution to the interaction energies of halogen bonds and halogen-halogen contacts. Hirshfeld surface analysis and topological analysis (atoms in molecules) were carried out to analyze the occurrence and strength of all non-covalent interactions. These analyses revealed that halogen bond interactions were more dominant than hydrogen bonding interactions in these crystal structures. Graphical Abstract Molecluar structure of 1,4-Di-iodotetrafluorobenzene bis(thianthrene 5-oxide) moelcule and its corresponding molecular electrostatic potential map for the view of σ-hole.