Periodic Projector Augmented Wave Density Functional Calculations on the Hexachlorobenzene Crystal and Comparison with the Experimental Multipolar Charge Density Model

Author(s)
Emmanuel Aubert, Sebastian Lebegue, Martijn Marsman, Thai Thanh Thu Bui, Christian Jelsch, Slimane Dahaoui, Enrique Espinosa, János G. Angyan
Abstract

The projector augmented wave (PAW) methodology has been used to calculate a high precision electron density distribution rho(r) for the hexachlorobenzene crystal phase. Implementing the calculation of the crystallographic structure factors in the VASP code has permitted one to obtain the theoretical multipolar rho(r). This electron density is compared with both the DFT electron density and the experimental multipolar model obtained from high-resolution X-ray diffraction data. This comparison has been carried out in intra- and intermolecular regions within the framework of the quantum theory of atoms-in-molecules (QTAIM) developed by Bader and co-workers. The characterization of the electron density in both C-CI and Cl center dot center dot center dot Cl regions, as well as within the atomic basins, shows similar features for the three models. As a consequence, the observation of charge depletion and charge concentration regions around the halogen nuclei (along the C-Cl bonding axis and in the perpendicular plane, respectively) underlines the nature of halogen bonding in terms of electrophilic and nucleophilic interactions.

Organisation(s)
Computational Materials Physics
External organisation(s)
Université de Lorraine
Journal
The Journal of Physical Chemistry Part A: Molecules, Spectroscopy, Kinetics, Environment and General Theory
Volume
115
Pages
14484-14494
No. of pages
11
ISSN
1089-5639
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1021/jp206623x
Publication date
2011
Peer reviewed
Yes
Austrian Fields of Science 2012
103018 Materials physics
Portal url
https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/d3f3aa62-a9da-43a5-8a52-2ac9f0a18b62