Start: October 30, 2025 3:30 p.m.
End: October 30, 2025 4:30 p.m.
Halogen Bonding and Other Unconventional Supramolecular Interactions at Work
Dr. Sergiy Rosokha
Professor, Department of Chemistry, Ball State University
Thursday, 10/30 @ 3:30 PM
FB 253
Supramolecular interactions, though relatively weak, determine the structures and stabilities of molecular complexes in chemical and biochemical systems and influence reaction rates, and solid-state properties such as conductivity and magnetism. Beyond the well-known hydrogen bond, many new and sometimes counterintuitive interactions have been recognized in recent years. Among them, halogen bonding—the attraction between electrophilic halogen atoms and electron-rich centers (Figure 1)—has emerged as particularly important. It plays key roles in crystal engineering, molecular recognition, anion transport, catalysis, and drug design. While it is commonly explained as an electrostatic attraction of electron-rich species to regions of positive potential on halogen, our studies have shown that molecular-orbital interactions (electronic coupling) are crucial for forming halogen-bonded complexes. We will discuss results of our recent research showing how this electronic coupling lowers barriers for electron transfer and subsequent chemical transformations, and how it affects UV-Vis spectral properties allowing to distinguish different types of bonding.
Figure 1