4,4′‐Bis(2,2,2‐trifluoroethoxymethyl)‐2,2′‐bipyridine

As part of a homologous series of novel polyfluorinated bipyridyl (bpy) ligands, the title compound, C₁₆H₁₄F₆N₂O₂, contains the smallest fluorinated group, viz. CF₃. The molecule resides on a crystallographic inversion centre at the mid‐point of the pyridine C_ipso—C_ipso bond. Therefore, the bpy skeleton lies in an anti conformation to avoid repulsion between the two pyridyl N atoms. Weak intramolecular C—H...N and C—H...O interactions are observed, similar to those in related polyfluorinated bpy–metal complexes. A π–π interaction is observed between the bpy rings of adjacent molecules and this is probably a primary driving force in crystallization. Weak intermolecular C—H...N hydrogen bonding is present between one of the CF₃CH₂– methylene H atoms and a pyridyl N atom related by translation along the 010] direction, in addition to weak benzyl‐type C—H...F interactions to atoms of the terminal CF₃ group. It is of note that the O—CH₂CF₃ bond is almost perpendicular to the bpy plane.