Conformational analysis of mesocyclic polythioethers : Crystal and molecular structures of 1,4-dithiacycloheptane, 1,5-dithiacyclononane and 1,6-dithiacyclodecane

The crystal and molecular structures of 1,4-dithiacycloheptane (1,4-DTCH), 1,5-dithiacyclononane (1,5-DTCN), and 1,6-dithiacyclodecane (1,6-DTCD) have been determined by single crystal X-ray studies. These compounds crystallize in the space groups P2₁2₁2₁ (No. 19), P2₁/c (No. 14), and P2₁/n, respectively with a = 5.409(1), b = 10.883(2), c = 11.390(2) Å, Z = 4; a = 9.600(4), b = 12.378(8), c = 7.904(3) Å, /gb = 113.31(3)°, Z = 4; and a = 5.290(1), b = 12.853(3), c = 6.850(2) Å, β = 93.39(2)°, Z = 2, respectively. The nonhydrogen atoms were located using direct methods and the hydrogen atoms were found by Fourier difference maps. Full-matrix least-squares refinement led to conventional R factors of 0.0459, 0.0558 and 0.0314, respectively. The conformations adopted by 1,4-DTCH, 1,5-DTCN and 1,6-DTCD, in the crystalline slate, are twist chair (C₂ symmetry), twist boat chair (C₂ symmetry), and boat chair boat (C_2k symmetry), respectively. The transannular S-S distances are 3.583, 4.108 and 4.864 Å, respectively.