The Effect of Pressure on Halogen Bonding in 4-Iodobenzonitrile

The crystal structure of 4-iodobenzonitrile, which is monoclinic (space group I2/a) under ambient conditions, contains chains of molecules linked through C≡N···I halogen-bonds. The chains interact through CH···I, CH···N and π-stacking contacts. The crystal structure remains in the same phase up to 5.0 GPa, the b axis compressing by 3.3%, and the a and c axes by 12.3 and 10.9 %. Since the chains are exactly aligned with the crystallographic b axis these data characterise the compressibility of the I···N interaction relative to the inter-chain interactions, and indicate that the halogen bond is the most robust intermolecular interaction in the structure, shortening from 3.168(4) at ambient pressure to 2.840(1) A at 5.0 GPa. The π∙∙∙π contacts are most sensitive to pressure, and in one case the perpendicular stacking distance shortens from 3.6420(8) to 3.139(4) A. Packing energy calculations (PIXEL) indicate that the π∙∙∙π interactions have been distorted into a destabilising region of their potentials at 5.0 GPa. The structure undergoes a transition to a triclinic ( P 1 ¯ ) phase at 5.5 GPa. Over the course of the transition, the initially colourless and transparent crystal darkens on account of formation of microscopic cracks. The resistance drops by 10% and the optical transmittance drops by almost two orders of magnitude. The I···N bond increases in length to 2.928(10) A and become less linear [

Keywords:

• Stacking
• Crystal structure
• Raman spectroscopy
• Organic chemistry
• Monoclinic crystal system
• Crystallography
• Halogen bond
• Chemistry
• Triclinic crystal system
• Ambient pressure
• Intermolecular force

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