4‐Amino derivatives of 7‐nitro‐2,1,3‐benzoxadiazole: the effect of the amino moiety on the structure of fluorophores

The crystal structures of three 4‐amino derivatives of 7‐nitro‐2,1,3‐benzoxa­diazole with increasing substituent ring size, viz. 7‐nitro‐4‐(pyrrolidin‐1‐yl)‐2,1,3‐benzoxa­diazole, C₁₀H₁₀N₄O₃, 7‐nitro‐4‐(piperidin‐1‐yl)‐2,1,3‐benzoxa­diazole, C₁₁H₁₂N₄O₃, and 4‐(azepan‐1‐yl)‐7‐nitro‐2,1,3‐benzoxa­diazole, C₁₂H₁₄N₄O₃, have been determined in order to understand their photophysical behaviour. All three were found to crystallize in centrosymmetric space groups. There is considerable electron delocalization compared with the parent compound, although the five‐membered oxa­diazole ring apparently does not participate in this. The length of the C—N bond between the amino N atom and the 7‐nitro­benzoxa­diazole system is found to be shorter than in similar compounds, as is the C—N_nitro bond. In each structure, the nitro group lies in the plane of the benzoxa­diazole unit.