Dibromomethyl- and bromomethyl- or bromo-substituted benzenes and naphthalenes: C-Br...Br interactions

The structures of six benzene and three naphthalene derivatives involving bromo, bromomethyl and dibromomethyl substituents, namely, 1,3-dibromo-5-(dibromomethyl)benzene, C₇H₄Br₄, 1,4-dibromo-2,5-bis(bromomethyl)benzene, C₈H₄Br₆, 1,4-dibromo-2-(dibromomethyl)benzene, C₇H₄Br₄, 1,2-bis(dibromomethyl)benzene, C₈H₆Br₄, 1-(bromomethyl)-2-(dibromomethyl)benzene, C₈H₇Br₃, 2-(bromomethyl)-3-(dibromomethyl)naphthalene, C₁₂H₉Br₃, 2,3-bis(dibromomethyl)naphthalene, C₁₂H₈Br₄, 1-(bromomethyl)-2-(dibromomethyl)naphthalene, C₁₂H₉Br₃, and 1,3-bis(dibromomethyl)benzene, C₈H₆Br₄, are presented. The packing patterns of these compounds are dominated by Br...Br contacts and C-H...Br hydrogen bonds. The Br...Br contacts, shorter than twice the van der Waals radius of bromine (3.7 Å), seem to play a crucial role in the crystal packing of all these compounds. The occurrence of Type I and Type II interactions is also discussed briefly, considering the effective atomic radius of bromine, as is their impact on the packing of molecules in the individual structures.