1. It is a common path, as stated by Dante Alighieri in the Divina Commedia (Paradise, Cantus IV): “Però che (l’uomo) solo da sensato apprende ciò che fa poscia d’intelletto degno”, (Since (the men) only through the sense it apprehendeth what then it worthy makes of intellect.) Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, translation.
2. The ability of halogen atoms to work as hydrogen bond acceptors was already recognized at the beginning of the XXth century. For references see: Hantzsch, A. Chem. Ber. 1959, 48, 797–816.
3. COMPARISON OF COVALENTLY BONDED ELECTRO-NEGATIVE ATOMS AS PROTON ACCEPTOR GROUPS IN HYDROGEN BONDING
4. Halogen Bonding in Supramolecular Chemistry
5. Halogen bonding: the σ-hole