Crystallographic and Conformational Analysis of [(<Emphasis Type="Italic">E</Emphasis>)-2-[(3-Chlorophenylimino)methy])-4-methoxyphenol]

Abstract  The crystal structure of C₁₄H₁₂ClNO₂ was determined by X-ray analysis. It crystallizes in the triclinic space group Pc with a = 12.5346(10) ?, b = 4.5101(3) ?, c = 12.0534(11) ?, α = 90.00o, β = 113.669(6)o, γ = 90.00o, Z = 2, Dx = 1.393 mg/m³, μ (MoK_α) = 0.298 mm⁻¹. The title compound is photochromic and molecule is non-planar. It adopts a phenol–imine tautomeric form with a strong intramolecular O–H···N hydrogen bond and a strong intermolecular C–H···O hydrogen bond. Minimum energy conformations AM1 were calculated as a function of the three torsion angles θ1(C10–C9–N1–C8), θ2(C9–N1–C8–C1) and θ3(N1–C8–C1–C6), varied every 10°. As in the X-ray experiment results, molecule has an angle that makes it non-planar between two aromatic rings in AM1 optimized geometry. Graphical Abstract  Molecular and crystal structure of (E)-2-(3-chlorophenylimino)methy])-4-methoxyphenol], C₁₄H₁₂ClNO₂, have been determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction study, and conformational analysis of the title molecule with respect to the selected torsion angle has been achieved by AM1 semi-empirical calculations.