Molecular Structures of p-Methylsulphonylbenzoic Acid and Methylphenylsulphone: Comparison of X-Ray and Electron Diffraction Results

Abstract

The molecular structures of p-methylsulphonylbenzoic acid and methylphenylsulphone have been accurately determined by X-ray crystallography and gas electron diffraction, respectively. After correction for systematic effects, the geometry of the crystal molecule is seen to agree with that of the free molecule within a few thousandths of an Å unit for bond distances and a few tenths of a degree for bond angles. An exception is the S-Me bond distance, which is ca. 0.02 Å shorter in the crystal. The distortion of the benzene ring angles from 120°, an effect of the - SO2Me substituent, is virtually the same from both experiments