Strong N−X⋅⋅⋅O−N Halogen Bonds: A Comprehensive Study on N‐Halosaccharin Pyridine N‐Oxide Complexes

A study of the strong N−X⋅⋅⋅−O−N+ (X=I, Br) halogen bonding interactions reports 2×27 donor×acceptor complexes of N‐halosaccharins and pyridine N‐oxides (PyNO). DFT calculations were used to investigate the X⋅⋅⋅O halogen bond (XB) interaction energies in 54 complexes. A simplified computationally fast electrostatic model was developed for predicting the X⋅⋅⋅O XBs. The XB interaction energies vary from −47.5 to −120.3 kJ mol−1; the strongest N−I⋅⋅⋅−O−N+ XBs approaching those of 3‐center‐4‐electron [N−I−N]+ halogen‐bonded systems (ca. 160 kJ mol−1). 1H NMR association constants (KXB) determined in CDCl3 and [D6]acetone vary from 2.0×100 to >108 m−1 and correlate well with the calculated donor×acceptor complexation enthalpies found between −38.4 and −77.5 kJ mol−1. In X‐ray crystal structures, the N‐iodosaccharin‐PyNO complexes manifest short interaction ratios (RXB) between 0.65–0.67 for the N−I⋅⋅⋅−O−N+ halogen bond. Strong N−X⋅⋅⋅−O−N+ (X=I, Br) halogen bonds, by using oxygen as halogen bond acceptor, are obtained from N‐halosaccharins and aromatic N‐oxides. The donor–acceptor‐dependent tunable X⋅⋅⋅O distances are investigated by using computational methods, solution NMR spectroscopy, and X‐ray diffraction analysis.