“Pnicogen bonds” or “chalcogen bonds”: exploiting the effect of substitution on the formation of P⋯Se noncovalent bonds

Abstract

In this article, we have analyzed the nature and characteristics of PSe noncovalent interactions by studying the effect of substitution on XH2PSeH2, H3PSeHX and XH2PSeHX (X= -H, -F, -CH3, -CF3, -Cl, -OH, -OCH3, -NH2, -NHCH3, and -CN) as our systems of interest at MP2/aug-cc-pVDZ level of theory. Binding energy calculations depict that binding energy increases in the order XH2PSeH2 < H3PSeHX < XH2PSeHX with the nature of the substituent having a direct effect on the strength of the interactions. PSe contacts as short as 2.52 Å were observed and analyzed in our study. The energy values for PSe contacts were found to exist in the range of -1.20 kcal mol(-1) to -7.89 kcal mol(-1). The topological analysis confirms the presence of PSe contacts in all the complexes with characteristics similar to hydrogen bonds. NBO analysis helped in categorizing these interactions into pnicogen and chalcogen bonds, depending on the strength of P(lp) to σ*(Se-X) orbitals or Se(lp) to σ*(P-X) orbitals.