Polymorphism of naphthazarin and its relation to solid-state proton transfer. Neutron and X-ray diffraction studies on naphthazarin C

The crystal structure of naphthazarin C has been determined by neutron diffraction at 60 and 300 K (λ ═ 0.895 Å; 1 Å ═ 10 -10 m ═ 10 -1 nm) and X-ray diffraction at 300 K. The space group is Pc at 60 K, but P 2 1 /c at 300 K. There are small but significant differences in cell dimensions at the two temperatures: a ═ 7.664 (7.915), b ═ 7.304 (7.262), c ═ 15.16 (15.284) Å; β ═ 114.60 (114.20)°; Z ═ 4; U ═ 771.6 (801.3) Å 3 (values at 300 K in parentheses). Neutron diffraction shows that the Pc and P 2 1 /c structures are related by an order-disorder transition at 110±1 K. Structure analysis (1771 reflections; R F ═ 0.035; R W ═ 0.036) showed that the hydroxyl hydrogens are largely ordered at 60 K, the appropriate molecular formula being 5, 8-dihydroxy-1, 4-naphthadione. Neutron diffraction measurements at 300 K (1769 reflections; R F ═ 0.052) indicated a disordered molecular model with one-half of an hydrogen atom attached to each oxygen. X -ray diffraction measurements on naphthazarin C at 300 K (two independent sets of intensity measurements, one with CuKα and the other with MoKα) support this disordered model. The molecular dimensions for naphthazarin A and B also fit this model. Comparison of the crystal structure of naphthazarin C with those of the A and B polymorphs shows that only the former has intermolecular O─H • • • O hydrogen bonding. The diffraction results combined with the available solid-state n. m. r. data show that there is at room temperature a rapid intramolecular exchange of hydroxylic protons between each pair of oxygen atoms in all three naphthazarin polymorphs. Many 1, 3-diketones exist in an enol form in the solid. These enol forms have been reported to be disordered for about twenty molecules at room temperature (this total includes one molecule studied at 108 K, and four amino-imino systems) and ordered systems have been reported for about fifteen molecules. Intermolecular hydrogen bonding occurs only in a few of these crystals.