Counterintuitive interaction of anions with benzene derivatives

Ab initio calculations were carried out on complexes between 1,3,5-trinitrobenzene (TNB) and anions, where the anion is positioned over the ring along the C3 axis. This study combines crystallographic and computational evidences to demonstrate an attractive interaction between the anion and the π-cloud of TNB. This interaction is rationalized based on the important role of the quadrupole moment of TNB and the anion-induced polarization. In addition, this study has been extended to 1,3,5-trifluorobenzene (TFB), which possesses a very small quadrupole moment. As a result, minimum energy complexes have been found between TFB and both anions and cations due to the stabilization obtained from the ion-induced polarization.