Molecular Structure of an Isocytosine Analog: Combined X-ray Structural and Computational Study of 2-Diethylamino-6-methyl-5-n-propyl-4(3H)-pyrimidinone

The structure of 2-diethylamino-6-methyl-5-n-propyl-4(3H)-pyrimidinone has been studied by X-ray crystallography and quantum-chemical calculations. X-ray analysis established that 2-diethylamino-6-methyl-5-n-propyl-4(3H)-pyrimidinone exists exclusively as the lactam tautomer protonated at the N3 ring nitrogen in the solid state. Crystals of 2-diethylamino-6-methyl-5-n-propyl-4(3H)-pyrimidinone are monoclinic (space group P2₁/n); the unit-cell dimensions are: a = 11.0460(8) Å, b = 5.0064(4) Å, c = 22.8358(17) Å, = = 90°, = 90.521(1)°. In the crystal, molecules of 2-diethylamino-6-methyl-5-n-propyl-4(3H)-pyrimidinone are assembled in planar centrosymmetric dimers by strong resonance-assisted N—H···O intermolecular hydrogen bonds from the NH group of one molecule to the C=O of the adjacent molecule (N—H···O distance 2.804 Å). Bond distances and angles are generally similar to those reported for the corresponding tautomer of isocytosine and derivatives. Quantum-chemical calculations on 2-diethylamino-6-methyl-5-n-propyl-4(3H)-pyrimidinone are also reported in order to estimate the relative energies of the possible tautomeric forms; ab initio and DFT results predict the coexistence of the N3 and AH tautomers in the gas phase. There is excellent correspondence between the crystal and the HF/6-311G** or B3LYP/6-31G* calculated structures of the N3 lactam form; the largest deviations between the experimental and computed structures are mostly the effects of strong intermolecular H bonds in the crystal.