Model compounds of nylons—II: The crystal structure of N,N′-bis (β-chlorethyl)-glutaramide

Abstract

The crystal structure of N,N′-bis(β-chloroethyl)-glutaramide (NNCEG) has been determined by X-ray diffraction analysis, as part of a research programme on simple model compounds for synthetic polyamides. It crystallizes in the monoclinic system, space group P2 1 Z = 2, with a = 4·941, b = 28·123, c = 4·835 A ̊ and β = 113°53′ . The structure was solved by the heavy atom method and refined to a final R value of 0·079. Each molecule forms hydrogen bonds along two directions (almost the a and the c directions with an angle close to 60°) giving rise to bidimensional layers (parallel to the ac plane with width b/2). A similar system of hydrogen bonds could be postulated for some nylons with odd number of CH 2's between amide groups. The molecular conformation different from an all trans conformation is discussed in terms of the barriers to rotation around each bond considered by several authors. The twinning observed in most of the examined crystals is rationalized in terms of simple symmetry operations on molecular conformations of opposite chirality.