Crystal and molecular structures of atropisomeric N‐aryl‐1,2,3,4‐tetrahydro‐3,3‐dimethyl‐2,4‐quinolinediones

The crystal structures of N‐aryl‐1,2,3,4‐tetrahydro‐3,3‐dimethyl‐2,4‐quinolinediones bearing methoxy‐ ( 1 ), methyl‐ ( 2 ), and chloro‐ ( 3 ) substituents in 2′‐position of the phenyl ring have been determined by X‐ray crystal structure analysis. The heterocyclic ring in 1–3 adopts an envelope conformation, with the smallest ring puckering in the ortho‐chloro derivative 3 . The N‐aryl ring is almost perpendicular with respect to the quinoline‐2,4‐dione ring. The corresponding dihedral angle values are 83.2(1)°, 80.0(9)°, and 83.4(2)° in 1, 2 and 3 , respectively. The hydrogen bond of C H⋅⋅⋅O type joins the molecules of the ortho‐methoxy derivative 1 into dimers. The supramolecular structure also contains two C H⋅⋅⋅π interactions that link the hydrogen‐bonded dimers into sheets. In ortho‐methyl derivative 2 , one C H⋅⋅⋅π interaction generates infinite chains, whereas two C H⋅⋅⋅O hydrogen bonds and three C H⋅⋅⋅π interactions in the ortho‐chloro derivative 3 form three‐dimensional framework. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Heteroatom Chem 19:325–331, 2008; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/hc.20436