Crystal structures of monohalogenated benzoic acids

Crystal structures resulting from a combination of different types of specific intermolecular interactions have been analysed using examples of 12 monohalogenated benzoic acids (HBA). These have been compared with structures known for corresponding monofunctional compounds, namely benzoic acid, fluorobenzene, chlorobenzene and iodobenzene. It is found that common for carboxylic acids centrosymmetric hydrogen-bonded dimers exist in all HBA, and at the same time a degree of halogen atoms aggregation is rather high in the most part of HBA, similarly to chlorobenzene and iodobenzene crystals. Previously reported tendency to increasing degree of Hal-aggregation in the sequence F < Cl ≤ Br ≤ I is confirmed. It is remarkable that a stacking motif of benzene rings is realised in all HBA crystals though it is absent in all considered monofunctional substances.