title: Br...Br and van der Waals interactions along a homologous series: crystal packing of 1,2-dibromo-4,5-dialkoxybenzenes.
abstract: The crystalline structures of four homologues of the 1,2-dibromo-4,5-dialkoxybenzene series [Br2C6H2(OCnH2n + 1)2for n = 2, 12, 14 and 18] have been solved by means of single-crystal crystallography. Comparison along the series, including the previously reported n = 10 and n = 16 derivatives, shows a clear metric trend (b and c essentially fixed along the series and a growing linearly with n), in spite of some subtle differences in space groups and/or packing modes. A uniform packing pattern for the aliphatic chains has been found for the n = 12 to 18 homologues, which slightly differs from that of the n = 10 derivative. The crystalline structures of all the higher homologues (n = 10-18) seem to arise from van der Waals interchain interactions and, to a lesser extent, type II Br...Br interactions. The dominant role of interchain interactions provides direct structural support for the usual interpretation of melting point trends like that found along this series. Atoms in Molecules (AIM) analysis allows a comparison of the relative magnitude of the interchain and Br...Br interactions, an analysis validated by the measured melting enthalpies.
authors.affiliation: INQUIMAE, Departamento de Química Inorgánica, Analítica y Química Física, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Universitaria, Pab. II (1428), Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Sebastián A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Suarez
authors.affiliation: INQUIMAE, Departamento de Química Inorgánica, Analítica y Química Física, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Universitaria, Pab. II (1428), Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Muller
authors.affiliation: INQUIMAE, Departamento de Química Inorgánica, Analítica y Química Física, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Universitaria, Pab. II (1428), Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Matías E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Gutiérrez Suburu
authors.affiliation: INQUIMAE, Departamento de Química Inorgánica, Analítica y Química Física, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Universitaria, Pab. II (1428), Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fonrouge
authors.affiliation: Gerencia de Investigación y Aplicaciones, Centro Atómico Constituyentes, Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Ricardo F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Baggio
authors.affiliation: INQUIMAE, Departamento de Química Inorgánica, Analítica y Química Física, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Universitaria, Pab. II (1428), Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Fabio D
authors.initials: FD
authors.lastname: Cukiernik
keywords: 1,2-dibromo-4,5-dialkoxybenzenes; chemical crystallography; crystal engineering; halogen bonds