Synthesis, structure and dispersion interactions in bis(1,8-naphthalendiyl)distibine

Naph 2 Sb 2 1 was synthesized by a reaction of 1,8-dilithionaphthalene NaphLi 2 with SbCl 3 and its solid state structure is reported on. 1 shows intermolecular interactions in the solid state, which were studied by quantum chemical calculations with dispersion corrected density functional theory, supermolecular ab initio approaches and symmetry adapted perturbation theory. The same methods were employed to compare the solid state interactions in the crystal of 1 to those in real (for E = P) and hypothetical (for E = As and Bi) crystal structures of Naph 2 E 2 . Dispersion interactions were found to provide the most important stabilising contribution in all cases, seconded by electrostatic attraction between pnictogen atoms and π-systems of neighbouring naphthyl groups. Naph 2 Sb 2 1 shows intermolecular interactions in the solid state. Quantum chemical calculations of 1 and the lighter (P, As) and heavier (Bi) congeners showed that intermolecular E E interactions (E = P, As, Sb, Bi) are dispersion dominated, while E π interactions additionally contained a significant electrostatic contribution.