Diversity of mutual orientations of Y-S and I-X and covalent bonds in molecular crystals complicate categorizing noncovalent chalcogen and halogen bonds. Here, the different types of SÁ Á ÁI interactions with short interatomic distances are analysed. The selection of SÁ Á ÁI interactions for the categorization of the chalcogen and halogen bonds has been made using angles that determine the mutual orientation of electron lone pairs and -holes interacted S and I atoms. In complicated cases of noncovalent interactions with 'hole-to-hole' of S and I orientations, distinguishing the chalcogen and halogen bonds is only possible if the atom is uniquely determined, which also provides the electrophilic site. The electronic criterion for chalcogen/halogen bonds categorizing that is based on analysis of dispositions of electron density and electrostatic potential minima along the interatomic lines has been suggested and its effectiveness has been demonstrated.
Using the orbital-free quantum crystallography approach, we have disclosed the quantitative trends in electronic features for bonds of different strengths formed by tetrel (Tt) atoms in stable molecular complexes consisting of electrically neutral tetrahedral molecules and halide anions. We have revealed the role of the electrostatic and exchange-correlation components of the total one-electron static potential that are determined by the equilibrium atomic structure and by kinetic Pauli potential, which reflects the spin-dependent electron motion features of the weak and strong bonds. The gap between the extreme positions in the electrostatic and total static potentials along the line linking the Tt atom and halide anion is wide for weak bonds and narrow for strong ones. It is in very good agreement with the number of minima in the Pauli potential between the bounded atoms. This gap exponentially correlates with the exchange-correlation potential in various series with a fixed nucleophilic fragment. A criterion for categorizing the noncovalent tetrel bonds (TtB) based on the potential features is suggested.
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