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.