The X-ray constrained wavefunction of the [Mn(CO)₄{(C₆H₅)₂P-S-C(Br₂)-P(C₆H₅)₂}]Br complex: a theoretical and...

The synthesis and X-ray structure determination of the [Mn(CO)₄{(C₆H₅)₂P-S-C(Br₂)-P(C₆H₅)₂}]Br complex (1) are described. The C-Br...Br dihalogen bond present in 1 has been characterized by means of topological studies of the electron density. Both the quantum theory of atoms in molecules and the electron localization function approaches have been applied to several theoretically calculated wavefunctions as well as to an X-ray constrained wavefunction. In addition, a number of theoretical techniques, such as the source function, the reduced density gradient method and the interacting quantum atoms approach, among others, have been used to analyse the dihalogen bond as well as several intramolecular interactions of the type C-H...Br-C which have also been detected in 1. The results show clearly that while bonding in the latter interactions are dominated by electrostatic components, the former has a high degree of covalency.