Polycentric binding in complexes of trimethylamine-N-oxide with dihalogens

Dihalogens readily interact with trimethylamine-N-oxide under ambient conditions. Accordingly, herein, stable 1 : 1 adducts were obtained in the case of iodine chloride and iodine bromide. The crystal and molecular structure of the trimethylamine-N-oxide–iodine chloride adduct was solved. Furthermore, the geometry and electronic structure of the trimethylamine-N-oxide–dihalogen complexes were studied computationally. Only molecular ensembles were found in the global minimum for the 1 : 1 stoichiometry. The O⋯X–Y halogen bond is the main factor for the thermodynamic stability of these complexes. Arguments for electrostatic interactions as the driving force for this noncovalent interaction were discussed. Also, the equilibrium structures are additionally stabilised by weak C–H⋯X hydrogen bonds. Consequently, formally monodentate ligands are bound in a polycentric manner.