Unexpected beauty and diversity in the structures of three homologous 4,5‐dialkoxy‐1‐ethynyl‐2‐nitrobenzenes: the subtle interplay between intermolecular C—H…O hydrogen bonds and alkyl chain length

The synthesis, ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectra, and X‐ray structures are described for three dialkoxy ethynylnitrobenzenes that differ only in the length of the alkoxy chain, namely 1‐ethynyl‐2‐nitro‐4,5‐dipropoxybenzene, C₁₄H₁₇NO₄, 1,2‐dibutoxy‐4‐ethynyl‐5‐nitrobenzene, C₁₆H₂₁NO₄, and 1‐ethynyl‐2‐nitro‐4,5‐dipentoxybenzene, C₁₈H₂₅NO₄. Despite the subtle changes in molecular structure, the crystal structures of the three compounds display great diversity. Thus, 1‐ethynyl‐2‐nitro‐4,5‐dipropoxybenzene crystallizes in the trigonal crystal system in the space group , with Z = 18, 1,2‐dibutoxy‐4‐ethynyl‐5‐nitrobenzene crystallizes in the monoclinic crystal system in the space group P 2₁/c , with Z = 4, and 1‐ethynyl‐2‐nitro‐4,5‐dipentoxybenzene crystallizes in the triclinic crystal system in the space group , with Z = 2. The crystal structure of 1‐ethynyl‐2‐nitro‐4,5‐dipropoxybenzene is dominated by planar hexamers formed by a bifurcated alkoxy sp‐C—H…O,O′ interaction, while the structure of the dibutoxy analogue is dominated by planar ribbons of molecules linked by a similar bifurcated alkoxy sp‐C—H…O,O′ interaction. In contrast, the dipentoxy analogue forms ribbons of molecules alternately connected by a self‐complementary sp‐C—H…O₂N interaction and a self‐complementary sp²‐C—H…O₂N interaction. Disordered solvent was included in the crystals of 1‐ethynyl‐2‐nitro‐4,5‐dipropoxybenzene and its contribution was removed during refinement.