Computational chemistry
Halogen bonds are not purely electrostatic
Open access · cc by · source: Europe PMC
Relativistic DFT shows halogen and hydrogen bonds share HOMO–LUMO covalency; halogen bonds have weaker electrostatics but stronger orbital mixing.
Study at a glance
- Design
- Computational / modelling — ZORA-BP86/TZ2P energy decomposition of trihalide halogen bonds vs hydrogen bonds
- N
- Molecular orbital theory study — no sample N
- Population
- DX···A− and DH···A− model complexes (D, X, A = F–I)
- Outcome
- Electrostatic vs orbital contributions distinguishing halogen and hydrogen bonds
Structured fields used in claim comparison tables when every cited study has a complete layer.
Key findings
Both bond types have a sizable covalent HOMO–LUMO piece. Halogen bonds are less electrostatic (DX less polar than DH) but often more orbital-stabilized. FH···F− to FH···I− weakens from −53 to −18 kcal mol−1; DF···A− fluorine bonds are partly inverted along Cl−–I−.
Methodology
Authors computed trihalide DX···A− and hydrogen-bonded DH···A− complexes (D, X, A = F, Cl, Br, I) with ZORA-BP86/TZ2P and decomposed interaction energies into electrostatic and orbital terms.
Limitations
These are gas-phase model trihalides, not condensed-phase crystal engineering or protein halogen bonds with thermal sampling.
How this study connects
Role on claims
Each row is a claim on a concept or method page where this paper supports, challenges, or qualifies the statement. Roles are hand-checked — not a model guess.
This library holds 12 empirical chemistry papers on computational chemistry with isolated findings, rates or spectra rather than reviews.
Evidence for the claim as stated.
Relativistic DFT shows halogen and hydrogen bonds share HOMO–LUMO covalency; halogen bonds have weaker electrostatics but stronger orbital mixing.
Evidence for the claim as stated.
Functional choice and static vs dynamics treatments change spin states, barriers and spectra; agreement on one molecule does not transfer automatically.
Evidence for the claim as stated.
Open questions
Tensions this paper is part of
From concept pages' “where studies disagree.” Disagreement means the same question; scope means different assays, populations, or outcomes.
Functional choice and static vs dynamics treatments change spin states, barriers and spectra; agreement on one molecule does not transfer automatically.
Related papers in this topic
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