Aggregation in isomeric imides: analysis of the weak interactions in six N-(benzoyl)-N-(2-pyridyl)benzamides.

Crystal structures of 4-chloro-N-(4-chlorobenzoyl)-N-(2-pyridyl)benzamide (I) Clpod, 3-chloro-N-(3-chlorobenzoyl)-N-(2-pyridyl)benzamide (II) Clmod and 2-chloro-N-(2-chlorobenzoyl)-N-(2-pyridyl)benzamide (III) Clood together with three methylated analogues, Mpod, Mmod and Mood, are presented herein. The Clxod acyclic imides are produced from reacting the 4-/3-/2-chlorobenzoyl chlorides (Clx) with 2-aminopyridine (o), respectively, together with their benzamide analogues Clxo; the Mxod/Mxo triad are produced similarly and in good yield. The five Clxod, Mpod and Mmod structures adopt the open transoid conformations as expected, but Mood crystallises with cisoid oriented benzoyl groups, and this conformation was unexpected, though not unknown. Halogen bonding contacts and weak hydrogen bonding C-H···N/O/π contacts are noted in the structures lacking strong hydrogen bonding donor atoms/groups but possessing a variety of strong and weaker acceptor atoms/groups. For Clxod, contact studies show that both hydrogen and carbon account for a high percentage of elements (70-75%) on the molecular surface and being the most abundant have C···H forming 26-30% of the contacts. Contact enrichment ratios are an indicator of the likelihood of chemical species to form intermolecular interactions with themselves and other species. The C-H···N and C-H···O are the most enriched (with EHN > 2.15), indicating that these weak hydrogen bonds are the driving force in the Clxod crystal packing formation. For Mxod, the C···H contact type at 40-52% is the most abundant contact type and C-H···O and C-H···N weak hydrogen bonds dominate with enrichment values in the 1.48-1.78 range. In Mxod, N/O···N/O contacts are effectively absent, except for Mpod (0.2%, N···N contacts) and both H···H and C···C non-polar contacts are moderately impoverished while the C···H interactions are slightly enriched (E = 1.1-1.21). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]