Adiponitrile at 100 K

Adiponitrile, C₆H₈N₂, is a key intermediate in the synthesis of the polyamide Nylon 66 and is produced industrially on a large scale. We have determined the crystal and molecular structure of adiponitrile by single‐crystal X‐ray analysis at 100 K, a suitable crystal (m.p. 275 K) having been grown from the melt at low temperature. The compound crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P 2₁/c with Z = 2. In the crystal structure, the molecule adopts an exact C_i‐symmetric gauche –anti –gauche conformation of the C—C—C—C skeleton about an inversion centre. The molecules are densely packed, with short intermolecular contacts between the α‐H and nitrile N atoms.     

Phase transitions in A4Li(HSO4)3(SO4); A = Rb, K: Single crystal X-ray diffraction studies

The crystal structure of ferroelastic Rb₄Li(HSO₄)₃(SO₄) has been determined at two temperatures, which indicates a structural phase transition, tetragonal P4₃ witha = 7.629(1) ?,c = 29.497(2) ? at 293 K and monoclinic P2₁ witha = 7.583(3) ?,b = 29.230(19) ?,c = 7.536(5) ?,β = 90.14(1)° at 90 K. The crystal structure of K₄Li(HSO₄)₃(SO₄)₄ has also been determined at two temperatures, tetragonalP4₁ witha = 7.405(1) ?,c = 28.712(6) ? at 293 K and tetragonalP4₁ witha = 7.371(5) ?,c = 28.522(5) ? at 100 K. The overall coordination features in both the structures have been analysed in terms of bond valence sum calculations. Dedicated to Professor C N R Rao on his 70th birthday     

A new crystal phase of barium nitroprusside trihydrate studied by neutron diffraction at 20 K

The crystal of barium penta­cyano­nitro­syl­ferrate trihydrate {barium nitro­prusside trihydrate, Ba[Fe(CN)₅(NO)]·3H₂O} has been studied by neutron diffraction at 20 K. The study was performed to characterize the structural phase generated by the phase transition undergone by the crystals at 80 K, at which temperature the unit‐cell volume doubles. This crystal phase still exists at 20 K. The crystal structure, in space group P1, is completely ordered. The positional changes of the water mol­ecules in the present structure with respect to those of the compound at 105 K are presented.     

Redetermination of the cobaltocene crystal structure at 100 K and 297 K: Comparison with ferrocene and nickelocene

The molecular and crystal structures of the monoclinic modification of cobaltocene Cp₂Co (P2₁/n, Z=2) was determined at 100 K and 297 K with new sets of X-ray diffraction data (MoK radiation, 3995 and 6534 reflections, refinement toR = 0.026 and 0.030 using 1061 and 1299 independent observable reflections, respectively). At 297 K the structure is disordered (similar to the isomorphous ferrocene and nickelocene) with two distinct orientations of the ring, differing in occupancy factors (80% and 20%) and by a rotation angle in the ring plane of approximately 34°. Just as for nickelocene but in contrast to ferrocene, no sharp phase transition was found on cooling Cp₂Co to 100 K, but an essential ordering of the Cp-ring position was detected with a decrease of the contribution of the second minor orientation to nearly 10%. On the basis of a careful analysis of the molecular geometry, crystal packing, and anisotropic atomic displacement parameters, a dynamic temperature-dependent nature of the disorder in Cp₂Co is assumed.     

Anisole at 100 K: the first crystal structure determination

The simplest alkyl aryl ether, anisole (methoxybenzene), C₇H₈O, is a feedstock chemical and is widely used in the pharmaceutical industry. The structure of anisole at 100 K, as determined by single‐crystal X‐ray analysis, is reported. A crystal (m.p. 236 K) suitable for X‐ray diffraction was obtained from the melt. The title compound crystallizes in the centrosymmetric space group P2₁/c with two molecules in the asymmetric unit (Z′ = 2). Both crystallographically distinct molecules adopt a virtually flat (C_s‐symmetric) conformation. The arrangement of the molecules in the solid state appears to be governed by close packing. No face‐to‐face π–π stacking of the molecules is observed, but rather edge‐to‐face interactions result in a herringbone packing motif.     

Synchrotron‐radiation study of the two‐leg spin‐ladder (VO)2P2O7 at 120 K

The crystal structure of the ambient‐pressure phase of vanadyl pyrophosphate, (VO)₂P₂O₇, has been precisely determined at 120 K from synchrotron X‐ray diffraction data measured on a high‐quality single crystal. The structure refinement unambiguously establishes the orthorhombic space group Pca2₁ as the true crystallographic symmetry. Moreover, it improves the accuracy of previously published atomic coordinates by one order of magnitude, and provides reliable anisotropic displacement parameters for all atoms. Along the a axis, the structure consists of infinite two‐leg ladders of vanadyl cations, (VO)²⁺, which are separated by pyrophosphate anions, (P₂O₇)^4?. Parallel to the c axis, the unit cell comprises two alternating crystallographically inequivalent chains of edge‐sharing VO₅ square pyramids bridged by PO₄ double tetrahedra. No structural phase transition has been observed in the temperature range between 300 and 120 K.     

Low-temperature Na4Ti5O12 from X-ray and neutron powder diffraction data

The crystal structure of the low-temperature Na₄Ti₅O₁₂ (tetra­sodium penta­titanium dodeca­oxide) phase has been solved and refined from X-ray and neutron powder diffraction data at 295 K. The structure is trigonal, space group P3, with Z = 1, although it is pseudo-centrosymmetric. The O and Na atoms form a distorted close-packed structure, where Ti atoms occupy octahedral sites.     

Ethylenediammonium bis{bis[N‐(2‐aminoethyl)glycinato‐κ3N,N′,O]chromium(III)} tetrachloride dihydrate at 293 and 100 K

The crystal structure of the title compound, (C₂H₁₀N₂)[Cr(C₄H₉N₂O₂)₂]₂Cl₄·2H₂O, has been determined by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction studies at 293 and 100 K. The analyses demonstrated that the crystal consists of ethyl­enedi­ammonium dications (which lie about inversion centres), bis­[N‐(2‐amino­ethyl)­glycin­ato]­chromium(III) monocations, Cl^? anions and hydrate water mol­ecules, in a molecular ratio of 1:2:4:2. The complex cation unit has a slightly distorted octahedrally coordinated Cr atom, with two Cr—O and four Cr—N bonds in the ranges 1.951 (1)–1.953 (1) and 2.054 (1)–2.089 (2) Å, respectively, at 293 K. The geometry of the bis­[N‐(2‐amino­ethyl)­glycinato]­chromium(III) moiety was found to be trans,cis,cis with respect to the carboxyl­ate O atom and the primary and secondary amine N atoms. The two analyses, at 293 and 100 K, exhibited no remarkable structural differences, although the colour of the crystals did differ, being red at 293 K and orange at 100 K.     

Monoclinic La1−xBaxMnO3 (x = 0.185) at 160 K

Single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction has shown that lanthanum barium manganese trioxide, La_0.815Ba_0.185MnO₃, is monoclinic (I2/c) below a first‐order phase transition at 187.1 (3) K. This result differs from the Pbnm symmetry usually assigned to colossal magnetoresistance oxides, A_1−xA′_xMnO₃ with x≃ 0.2, which adopt a distorted perovskite‐type crystal structure. The Mn atom lies on an inversion center, the disordered Li/Ba site is on a twofold axis and one of the two independent O atoms also lies on a twofold axis.     

Acetic anhydride at 100 K: the first crystal structure determination

Acetic anhydride (ethanoic anhydride), (CH₃CO)₂O, is a widely used acetylation reagent in organic synthesis. The crystal and molecular structure, as determined by single‐crystal X‐ray analysis at 100 K, is reported for the first time. A crystal of the title compound (m.p. 200 K) suitable for X‐ray diffraction was grown from the melt at low temperature. The title compound crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group Pbcn, with Z = 4. In the crystal, the molecule adopts an exact C₂‐symmetric conformation about a crystallographic twofold axis. The molecules are densely packed. Two of the methyl H atoms form short intermolecular contacts to a neighbouring carbonyl O atom, which can be viewed as weak hydrogen bonds.     

Synthesis,Vibrational Spectrum and Structure of the Tetracyanoborate K[B(CN)4]·CH3CN

The new tetracyanoborate K[B(CN)₄]·CH₃CN was synthesized by dissolution of the solvent‐free K[B(CN)₄] in acetonitrile and subsequent careful crystallization. The crystal structure has been determined by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. It crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group P2₁2₁2₁ with Z = 4. Some comparisons with related structures are made, and the vibrational spectrum is discussed.     

Low-temperature crystallization and X-ray structure determination of 2-methylpyridine at 153 K

The molecular and crystal structure of 2-methylpyridine or 2-picoline (1), melting point 206 K, was obtained from single crystal X-ray diffraction data by low-temperature crystallization of the liquid in a thin capillary on the diffractometer SMART 1000 CCD in a cold N₂ gas stream. The molecule has almost C_s symmetry with all atoms in a plane except two hydrogen atoms of the CH₃ group. Molecular geometry parameters obtained from the X-ray data and corrected for libration effect are in good agreement with those obtained from our ab initio calculations. Interesting peculiarity of the crystal packing of (1) is the C–Hπ intermolecular contact with short HX distance 2.64 Å, which can bring about the packing motif of (1) (X is the center of the aromatic ring, C is a carbon atom of the ring).     

Redetermination of the Crystal Structure of the 1,2,4,7-anti-tetramethylbicyclo[2.2.1]heptan-2-yl cation at 110 K

The structure of the 1,2,4,7-anti-tetramethylbicyclo[2.2.1]heptan-2-yl cation ( 1 ) was redetermined by X-ray crystal structure analysis of its Sb₂F₁₁ salt at 110 K (P2₁/c, R1 = 5.76%). The most important structural features of 1 are: C(1)? C(2) = 1.409(9), C(1)? C(6) = 1.710(8), and C(2)…C(6) = 2.113(9) Å and C(2)? C(1)? C(6) = 84.7(4)°. These results agree with those obtained earlier by other methods for the rapidly equilibrating, partially s?-delocalized 1,2-dimethylbicyclo[2.2.1]heptan-2-yl cation ( 2 ). The detailed experimental procedure for the preparation of crystalline 1 · Sb₂F₁₁ and the crystal selection and mounting are described.     

Powder neutron diffraction of SrNbO2N at room temperature and 1.5 K

The structure of strontium niobium dioxygen nitride, SrNbO₂N, has been solved by powder neutron diffraction at room temperature and 1.5 K. SrNbO₂N crystallizes in the tetragonal space group I4/mcm, with a = 5.7056 (4) and c = 8.1002 (9) Å at room temperature, and a = 5.6938 (4) and c = 8.0974 (8) Å at 1.5 K. The crystal structure is derived from the cubic perovskite archetype by a slight rotation of the Nb(O,N)₆ octahedra with respect to the tetragonal axis. A partially ordered distribution of oxygen and nitrogen on the anionic sites was found.     

Studying the Origin of the Antiferromagnetic to Spin‐Canting Transition in the β‐p‐NCC6F4CNSSN. Molecular Magnet

The crystal structure of the spin‐canted antiferromagnet β‐p‐NCC₆F₄CNSSN^. at 12 K (reported in this work) was found to adopt the same orthorhombic space group as that previously determined at 160 K. The change in the magnetic properties of these two crystal structures has been rigorously studied by applying a first‐principles bottom‐up procedure above and below the magnetic transition temperature (36 K). Calculations of the magnetic exchange pathways on the 160 K structure reveal only one significant exchange coupling (J(d1)=?33.8 cm^?1), which generates a three‐dimensional diamond‐like magnetic topology within the crystal. The computed magnetic susceptibility, χ(T), which was determined by using this magnetic topology, quantitatively reproduces the experimental features observed above 36 K. Owing to the anisotropic contraction of the crystal lattice, both the geometry of the intermolecular contacts at 12 K and the microscopic J_AB radical–radical magnetic interactions change: the J(d1) radical–radical interaction becomes even more antiferromagnetic (?43.2 cm^?1) and two additional ferromagnetic interactions appear (+7.6 and +7.3 cm^?1). Consequently, the magnetic topologies of the 12 and 160 K structures differ: the 12 K magnetic topology exhibits two ferromagnetic sublattices that are antiferromagnetically coupled. The χ(T) curve, computed below 36 K at the limit of zero magnetic field by using the 12 K magnetic topology, reproduces the shape of the residual magnetic susceptibility (having subtracted the contribution to the magnetization arising from spin canting). The evolution of these two ferromagnetic J_AB contributions explains the change in the slope of the residual magnetic susceptibility in the low‐temperature region.     

MEM(TCNQ)2 at room temperature and 10 K,and the absence of a spin‐Peierls transition

Precise X‐ray determinations of the crystal structure of the 1:2 complex of N‐ethyl‐N‐methyl­morpholinium and 7,7,8,8‐tetra­cyano‐p‐quinodi­methanide, abbreviated as MEM–TCNQ or MEM(TCNQ)₂ (C₇H₁₆NO⁺·2C₁₂H₄N₄^0.5?), have been performed at 293 and at 10 K. Evidence for the expected spin‐Peierls transition at 19 K is not found, and this may follow from radiation damage to the crystal or from insufficient equipment sensitivity.     

Partial ordering of tripivaloylmethane at 110 K

Tripivaloylmethane [systematic name: 4‐(2,2‐dimethylpropanoyl)‐2,2,6,6‐tetramethylheptane‐3,5‐dione], C₁₆H₂₈O₃, is known to crystallize at room temperature in the space group R3m with three molecules in the unit cell. The molecules are conformationally chiral and pack so that each molecular site is occupied with equal probability by the two enantiomers. Upon cooling to 110 K, the structure partially orders; two molecules in the unit cell order into two different conformations of opposite chirality, while the third remains disordered. The symmetry of the resulting crystal is P3, with each of the molecules lying about a different threefold rotation axis. This paper describes an unusual case of order–disorder phase transition in which the structure partially orders by changes of molecular conformation in the single crystals. Such behaviour is of interest in the study of phase transitions and molecular motion in the solid state.     

Huge dielectric response and molecular motions in paddle-wheel [Cu(II)2(adamantylcarboxylate)4(DMF)2]⋅(DMF)2

The temperature‐dependent dynamic properties of [Cu^II₂(ADCOO)₄(DMF)₂]?(DMF)₂ ( 1 ) and [Cu^II₂(ADCOO)₄(AcOEt)₂] ( 2 ) crystals were examined by X‐ray crystallography, ¹H NMR spectroscopy, and measurements of the dielectric constants and magnetic susceptibilities (ADCOO=adamantane carboxylate, DMF=N,N‐dimethylformamide, and AcOEt=ethyl acetate). In both crystals, four ADCOO groups bridged a binuclear Cu^II? Cu^II bond, forming a paddle‐wheel [Cu^II₂(ADCOO)₄] structure. The oxygen atoms of two DMF molecules in crystal 1 and two AcOEt molecules in crystal 2 were coordinated at axial positions of the [Cu^II₂(ADCOO)₄] moiety, forming [Cu^II₂(ADCOO)₄(DMF)₂] and [Cu^II₂(ADCOO)₄(AcOEt)₂], respectively. Two additional DMF molecules were included in the unit cell of crystal 1 , whereas AcOEt was not included in the unit cell of crystal 2 . The structural analyses of crystal 1 at 300 K showed three‐fold rotation of the adamantyl groups, whereas rotation of the adamantyl groups of crystal 2 at 300 K was not observed. Thermogravimetric measurements of crystal 1 indicated a gradual elimination of DMF upon increasing the temperature above 300 K. The dynamic behavior of the crystallized DMF yielded significant temperature‐dependent dielectric responses in crystal 1 , which showed a huge dielectric peak at 358 K in the heating process. In contrast, only small frequency‐dependent dielectric responses were observed in crystal 2 because of the freezing of the molecular rotation of the adamantyl groups. The magnetic behavior was dominated by the strong antiferromagnetic coupling between the two S=1/2 spins of the Cu^II? Cu^II site, with magnetic exchange energies (J) of ?265 K (crystal 1 ) and ?277 K (crystal 2 ).     

Die Kristallstruktur des Hexakaliumdigermanats,K6Ge2O7

The title compound is monoclinic, space group Pc (No. 7),a=6.549 (1),b=9.094 (1),c=11.426 (2) Å, =126.78 (1)° andZ=2. Its crystal structure has been refined from 1 323 single crystal X-ray reflections toR=0.131. The structure of K₆Ge₂O₇ is very similar to that of K₆Co₂O₇ and K₆Si₂O₇ both of which have been reported to be centrosymmetric, space group P2₁/c. While the angle at the bridging oxygen atom is 180° in the latter compounds, it is 157° in K₆Ge₂O₇.

     

X-Ray Diffraction Study of 2-Aminopropenenitrile at 97 K

2-Aminopropenenitrile crystallizes in the space group P2₁2₁2₁ with two molecules in the asymmetric unit. Both molecules show appreciable pyramidalization at the amino group. The crystal structure is built from approximately centrosymmetric dimers stabilized by hydrogen bonding between the amino group of each molecule and the nitrile group of its partner. The dimers are linked into chains by further hydrogen bonds in which the amino group of one molecule acts as donor, the amino group of the other as acceptor. The two types of molecule thus play different roles in the crystal structure. Electron density difference maps for the two independent molecules show characteristic bonding density features. The molecular structure as obtained by the low-temperature X-ray analysis is closely similar to that derived from ab initio molecular orbital calculations and leads to rotational constants close to those obtained from a microwave spectroscopic study.