Enhancement of Halogen Bond Strength by Intramolecular H-Bonds

Quantum calculations study the potential of an intramolecular H-bond between the halogen atom (X) of a halobenzene and a substituent placed ortho to it, to amplify the ability of X to engage in a halogen bond (XB) with a Lewis base. H-bonding substituents NH2, CH2CH2OH, CH2OH, OH, and COOH were added to halobenzenes (X = Cl, Br, I). The amino group had little effect, but those containing OH increased the CX···N XB energy to a NH3 nucleophile by about 0.5 kcal/mol; the increment associated with COOH is larger, nearly 2 kcal/mol. These energy increments were approximately doubled if two such H-bonding substituents are present. Combining a pair of ortho COOH groups with an electron-withdrawing NO2 group in the para position has a particularly large effect, raising the XB energy by about 4 kcal/mol, which can amount to as much as a 4-fold magnification.