Chalcogen Bonds in Small-Organic Molecule Compounds Derived from the Cambridge Structural Database (CSD)

Abstract

Growing interest in non-covalent interactions involving chalcogen atoms has been ascribed to their importance in crystal engineering, molecular recogni-tion and macromolecular edifices. The present study is dealing with chalcogen bonds involving divalent Sulphur, Selenium and Tellurium atoms, acting as sigma-hole donors, in small-molecule compounds using the Cambridge Structural Database (CSD) in conjunction with ab initio calculations. Results derived from CSD surveys and computational study revealed that nucleophiles formed complexes with the chalcogen-bond donors R 1 -X-R 2 (X = S, Se or Te). The main forces stabilizing the complexes were chalcogen bonds, enhanced by dispersion interactions. Complexation pattern and energetics show that nucleophile bonding at divalent S, Se and Te atoms is a relatively strong and directed interaction. The bond consists of a charge transfer from a nucleophile atom lone pair to an X-R 1 or X-R 2 antibonding orbital.