Pyrene and the influence of substitution or complexation on its geometry and packing in the crystalline state

Abstract

The crystal structures of pyrene and substituted and complexed derivatives of pyrene have been investigated by X-ray and neutron diffraction. The geometry of the pyrene skeleton has been determined experimentally with high accuracy and calculated by quantum chemical methods. In the cases reported in the literature and cited here the pyrene skeleton has the molecular symmetry mmm or mm2 with values for the bond lengths of the six symmetrically independent bondsa, b, c, d, e, f differing significantly in the limits of error. Mean values of a number of experimental and theoretical bond lengths are given and can be considered as standard values for the mm2 symmetric pyrene skeleton. In the case of substitution of the pyrene in 3-position with a polar heterocyclic molecule of the azomethine-imine type the mm2 symmetry vanishes, a C–H ... N intramolecular hydrogen bond arises and the directly neighbouring pyrene units are not packed parallel with their planes to each other, but they are considerably tilted. Relatively narrow intermolekular C-C contacts, 3.314 and 3.368 A, have been observed. The conclusion is drawn that the asymmetry of the pyrene molecule and a tilt of directly neighbouring pyrene units in the crystal packing can be induced by substitution e. g. with suitable polar heterocycles.