The halogen bond occurs when there is evidence of a net attractive interaction between an electrophilic region associated with a halogen atom in a molecular entity and a nucleophilic region in another, or the same, molecular entity. In this fairly extensive review, after a brief history of the interaction, we will provide the reader with a snapshot of where the research on the halogen bond is now, and, perhaps, where it is going. The specific advantages brought up by a design based on the use of the halogen bond will be demonstrated in quite different fields spanning from material sciences to biomolecular recognition and drug design.

The Halogen Bond

A halogen bond is a highly directional, electrostatically-driven noncovalent interaction between a region of positive electrostatic potential on the outer side of the halogen X in a molecule R–X and a negative site B, such as a lone pair of a Lewis base or the π-electrons of an unsaturated system. The positive region on X corresponds to the electronically-depleted outer lobe of the half-filled p-type orbital of X that is involved in forming the covalent bond to R. This depletion is labeled a σ-hole. The resulting positive electrostatic potential is along the extension of the R–X bond, which accounts for the directionality of halogen bonding. Positive σ-holes can also be found on covalently-bonded Group IV–VI atoms, which can similarly interact electrostatically with negative sites. Since positive σ-holes often exist in conjunction with negative potentials on other portions of the atom's surface, such atoms can interact electrostatically with both nucleophiles and electrophiles, as has been observed in surveys of crystallographic structures. Experimental as well as computational studies indicate that halogen and other σ-hole interactions can be competitive with hydrogen bonding, which itself can be viewed as a subset of σ-hole bonding.

Halogen bonding: an electrostatically-driven highly directional noncovalent interaction

Halogen bonding is a noncovalent interaction that is receiving rapidly increasing attention because of its significance in biological systems and its importance in the design of new materials in a variety of areas, for example, electronics, nonlinear optical activity, and pharmaceuticals. The interactions can be understood in terms of electrostatics/polarization and dispersion; they involve a region of positive electrostatic potential on a covalently bonded halogen and a negative site, such as the lone pair of a Lewis base. The positive potential, labeled a σ hole, is on the extension of the covalent bond to the halogen, which accounts for the characteristic near-linearity of halogen bonding. In many instances, the lateral sides of the halogen have negative electrostatic potentials, allowing it to also interact favorably with positive sites. In this discussion, after looking at some of the experimental observations of halogen bonding, we address the origins of σ holes, the factors that govern the magnitudes of their electrostatic potentials, and the properties of the resulting complexes with negative sites. The relationship of halogen and hydrogen bonding is examined. We also point out that σ-hole interactions are not limited to halogens, but can also involve covalently bonded atoms of Groups IV-VI. Examples of applications in biological/medicinal chemistry and in crystal engineering are mentioned, taking note that halogen bonding can be "tuned" to fit various requirements, that is, strength of interaction, steric factors, and so forth.

Halogen Bonding: An Interim Discussion

Although recognized in small molecules for quite some time, the implications of halogen bonding in biomolecular systems are only now coming to light. In this study, several systems of proteins in complex with halogenated ligands have been investigated by using a two-layer QM/MM ONIOM methodology. In all cases, the halogen−oxygen distances are shown to be much less than the van der Waals radius sums. Single-point energy calculations unveil that the interaction becomes comparable in magnitude to classical hydrogen bonding. Furthermore, we found that the strength of the interactions attenuates in the order H ≈ I > Br > Cl. These results agree well with the characteristics discovered within small model halogen-bonded systems. A detailed analysis of the interactions reveals that halogen bonding interactions are responsible for the different conformation of the molecules in the active site. This study would help to establish such interaction as a potential and effective tool in the context of drug design.

Halogen bonding--a novel interaction for rational drug design?

Historically, single-metal organometallic species such as organolithium compounds have been the reagents of choice in synthetic organic chemistry for performing deprotonation reactions. Over the past few years, a complementary new class of metalating agents has started to emerge. Owing to a variable central metal (magnesium, zinc, or aluminum), variable ligands (both in their nature and number), and a variable second metallic center (an alkali metal such as lithium or sodium), "ate" complexes are highly versatile bases that exhibit a synergic chemistry which cannot be replicated by the homometallic magnesium, zinc, or aluminum compounds on their own. Deprotonation accomplished by using these organometallic ate complexes has opened up new perspectives in organic chemistry with unprecedented reactivities and sometimes unusual and unpredictable regioselectivities.

Deprotonative metalation using ate compounds: synergy, synthesis, and structure building

A theoretical study of the complexes formed by hypohalous acids (HOX, X = F, Cl, Br, I, and At) with three nitrogenated bases (NH3, N2, and NCH) has been carried out by means of ab initio methods, up to MP2/aug-cc-pVTZ computational method. In general, two minima complexes are found, one with an OH···N hydrogen bond and the other one with a X···N halogen bond. While the first one is more stable for the smallest halogen derivatives, the two complexes present similar stabilities for the iodine case and the halogen-bonded structure is the most stable one for the hypoastatous acid complexes.

Competition of Hydrogen Bonds and Halogen Bonds in Complexes of Hypohalous Acids with Nitrogenated Bases

The first deprotonations of oxazole and benzoxazole using lithium magnesates are described. The reactions occurred in tetrahydrofuran at room temperature using 1/3 equiv of lithium tributylmagnesate. As 2-lithiooxazole and 2-lithiobenzoxazole, lithium tri(2-oxazolyl)magnesate and lithium tri(2-benzoxazolyl)magnesate very rapidly and completely isomerized to the more stable 2-(isocyano)enolate and 2-(isocyano)phenolate type structures, respectively, a result shown by NMR analysis. The isolation of 2-substituted oxazoles and benzoxazoles in medium to good yields after electrophilic trapping was interpreted in two ways:  (1) the equilibration between the open and closed structures is faster than the trapping of the open isomers, and the closed isomers are more reactive than the open ones, or (2) the open isomers react with electrophiles in a intramolecular Passerini type reaction. The nonreactivity of the 2-(isocyano)enolate type structure toward anisaldehyde in the absence of lithium bromide makes the intra...

Deprotonation of Benzoxazole and Oxazole Using Lithium Magnesates

Deprotonation of fluoro aromatics using lithium magnesates

Deprotonation of thiophenes using lithium magnesates

An experimental (1H NMR) and theoretical (DFT) study of the ring–chain–ring isomerization of 3-(2-pyridyl)-[1,2,3]triazolo[1,5-a]pyrid-7-yl derivatives (A) into 6-{[1,2,3]triazolo[1,5-a]pyrid-3-yl}-2-pyridyl derivatives (B) has been carried out. Based on the calculations, a mechanism of several steps will be proposed. The experimental results as well as the calculations lead to the conclusion that the A–B ratio depends on the electronic properties of the substituents.

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Fernando Blanco

Papers

Competition of Hydrogen Bonds and Halogen Bonds in Complexes of Hypohalous Acids with Nitrogenated Bases

Deprotonation of Benzoxazole and Oxazole Using Lithium Magnesates

Deprotonation of fluoro aromatics using lithium magnesates

Deprotonation of thiophenes using lithium magnesates

3-(2-Pyridyl)-[1,2,3]triazolo[1,5-a]pyridines. An experimental and theoretical (DFT) study of the ring–chain isomerization