Triply Activated Phenyl 3-lodopropiolates: Halogen-Bond Donors with Remarkable σ-Hole Potentials

The ability of halogen-bond donors to form strong and directional intermolecular interactions remains integral to their prospects of becoming reliable synthetic tools for the bottom-up assembly of functional materials. An activation strategy involving three different electron-withdrawing groups in parallel, was employed in order to develop new halogen-bond donors possessing some of the highest sigma-hole potentials reported to date.

Automated summary

The ability of halogen-bond donors to form strong and directional intermolecular interactions is crucial for their potential as reliable synthetic tools for assembling functional materials. A new strategy involving three parallel electron-withdrawing groups was used to develop halogen-bond donors with exceptionally high sigma-hole potentials.