Through a combination of structural chemistry, vibrational spectroscopy, and theory, we have systematically examined the relative structure-directing importance of a series of ditopic halogen-bond (XB) donors. The molecular electrostatic potential surfaces of six XB donors were evaluated, which allowed for a charge-based ranking. Each molecule was then co-crystallized with 21 XB acceptors and the results have made it possible to map out the supramolecular landscape describing the competition between I/Br-ethynyl donors, perfluorinated I/Br donors, and I/Br-phenyl based donors. The results offer practical guidelines for synthetic crystal engineering driven by robust and directional halogen bonds.
Keywords: crystal engineering; donor-acceptor systems; halogen bonding; self-assembly; supramolecular chemistry.
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