Crystal Structure and Conformation of a Bilirubin Ester

Summary. Crystal structures determined for three bilirubin analogs with gem-dimethyl groups at C(10) are reported, including the first X-ray structure of a bilirubin dimethyl ester. Conformation-determining torsion angles and key hydrogen bond distances and angles were compared to those from molecular dynamics calculations. Like other rubins, the component dipyrrinones of the three compounds were found to adopt the syn conformation, with Z-configuration double bonds at C(4) and C(15) and bis-lactam tautomeric structures of the end rings. No large differences in bond lengths and bond angles at C(10) were found, and the crystal structures of the two 10,10-dimethyl rubin acids showed considerable similarity to that of bilirubin: both pigments adopt a folded, intramolecularly hydrogen bonded ridge-tile conformation stabilized by six hydrogen bonds, with an interplanar angle in ridge-tile of 98° and 86°. In contrast, the dimethyl ester is intermolecularly hydrogen bonded in the crystal. Each molecule of the ester has its two syn-Z-dipyrrinones rotated into a conformation syn to the gem-dimethyl group, whereas in the acids they are anti.