Abstract: | Although the two polymorphic modifications, (I) and (II), of the title compound, C13H10N2O, crystallize in the same space group (P21/c), their asymmetric units have Z′ values of 1 and 2, respectively. These are conformational polymorphs, since the molecules in phases (I) and (II) adopt different rotations of the phenyl ring with respect the central 2‐cyanocarboxyaminoprop‐2‐enyl fragment. Calculations of crystal packing using Cerius2 Molecular Simulations (1999). 9685 Scranton Road, San Diego, CA 92121, USA] have shown that (I) is more stable than (II), by 1.3 kcal mol?1 for the crystallographically determined structures and by 1.56 kcal mol?1 for the optimized structures (1 kcal mol?1 = 4.184 kJ mol?1). This difference is mainly attributed to the different strengths of the hydrogen bonding in the two forms. |