Halogen bonding of substituted iodobenzenes with potential solvent molecules: A comparison of binding energies

► Halogen bonding energies for a series of Cl and O bases with iodobenzenes are computed. ► Halogen bond strength correlates roughly with basicity of the donor, but there are exceptions. ► The solution phase halogen bond energies decrease with respect to those in the gas phase. ► In a competitive environment, halogen bond energies are much weaker than traditional H-bonds.