Anion–arene adducts: C–H hydrogen bonding, anion–π interaction, and carbon bonding motifs

Abstract

This article summarizes experimental and theoretical evidence for the existence of four distinct binding modes for complexes of anions with charge-neutral arenes. These include C–H hydrogen bonding and three motifs involving the arene–π system—the noncovalent anion–π interaction, weakly covalent σ interaction, and strongly covalent σ interaction.