Question

I am writing my thesis, and usually I'm quite good with picking the right words for specific phenomena, yet I am having trouble finding the right words for this specific circumstance. I am trying to differentiate between halogen•••halogen contacts of the form R–X•••X'–R' where X and X' are the same element versus where X and X' are different elements. X in this case is a halogen, so a word for different halogens is okay too (I'd still like to know the general word, assuming there is one). I know that congener means two elements of the same group, but I'm unsure if that implies they are distinct elements. If it doesn't, I imagine the answer is homo____ and hetero____ but what could that ______ be?

Answer 1

In molecular structures involving halogen interactions R–X•••X'–R', 'homohalogen' is used when X and X' are the same element, while 'heterohalogen' is used when they are different. Prefixes for halogen substituents in systematic naming include fluoro-, chloro-, bromo-, and iodo-.

Step-by-step explanation:

When considering the interaction between halogens in molecular structures such as R–X•••X'–R', where X and X' are halogens, it's essential to distinguish whether the halogens are identical or different. If X and X' are the same element, we typically use the prefix homohalogen to describe the interaction (e.g., a homochlorine contact for a Cl•••Cl interaction). If X and X' are different, we then use heterohalogen to describe the interaction (e.g., a heterohalogen contact for a Cl•••Br interaction).

The general formulas for organic molecules with functional groups like alkyl halides use the 'R' notation to represent the rest of the molecule that is not part of the functional group. When naming molecules systematically, halogens are indicated with prefixes such as fluoro-, chloro-, bromo-, and iodo-, with additional numerical prefixes for the position and quantity if necessary.