Halogen Bonds in Crystal Engineering: Like Hydrogen Bonds yet Different

The halogen bond is an attractive interaction in which an electrophilic halogen atom approaches a negatively polarized species. Short halogen atom contacts in crystals have been known for around 50 years. Such contacts are found in two varieties: type I, which is symmetrical, and type II, which is bent. Both are influenced by geometric and chemical considerations. Our research group has been using halogen atom interactions as design elements in crystal engineering, for nearly 30 years. These interactions include halogen···halogen interactions (X···X) and halogen···heteroatom interactions (X···B). Many X···X and almost all X···B contacts can be classified as halogen bonds. In this Account, we illustrate…