Intermolecular -CH(3)...O(2)N-- contacts in two polymorphic modifications of (1E)-N'-[(E)-2-cyano-1-(dimethylamino)-2-nitrovinyl]-N,N-dimethylethanimidamide.

The title compound was synthesized and isolated in two crystal modifications. The structure of the orthorhombic modification was determined by the X-ray powder diffraction method and the structure of the monoclinic modification was determined using the X-ray single-crystal diffraction technique. The molecules in both polymorphs are E,E isomers. Intermolecular H(3)C....NO(2) contacts and their role in the formation of the polymorphic modifications are analyzed.

Structure determination of two metal-organic complexes from high-resolution synchrotron powder diffraction data.

The crystal structures of [1,2-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenylimino)acenaphthene-N,N']carbonylchlororhodium(I) (1) and [N,N'-ethylene-bis(3-methylsalicylideneiminato)-O,N,N',O'](tetrahydrofurfuryl)-cobalt(II) (2) have been determined from high-resolution synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction data. Compound 1 is the first neutral Rh complex, in contrast with findings in the literature, containing a bidentate nitrogen ligand, and compound 2 is the first three-dimensional structure of a (five-coordinated) tetrahydrofurfurylcobalt(III) complex. Grid-search and Rietveld refinement have been used to determine and refine the structures, respectively. Crystals of 1 are orthorhombic, space group Pbca, Z = 8, with cell parameters a = 21.729 (2), b = 27.376 (3), c = 11.580 (1) A. Crystals of 2 are monoclinic, space group P2(1)/n, Z = 4, a = 16.6701 (6), b = 9.4170 (4), c = 13.7088 (7) A and beta = 96.520 (3) degrees. Chemical diagrams for the two compounds are given. Soft restraints were applied during Rietveld refinement; for 1 converging to R(p) = 8.4%, R(w) = 11.0%, GoF = 2.3, and for 2 converging to R(p) = 8.5%, R(w) = 11.4%, GoF = 7.6.

Structure determination of the [Fe(teec)(6)](BF(4))(2) metal complex from laboratory and synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction data with grid-search techniques.

The structure of the coordination compound [Fe(teec)(6)](BF(4))(2), hexa[1-(2-chloroethyl)tetrazole]iron(II) di(borotetrafluoride), has been determined using the grid-search techniques of the program suite MRIA. A Guinier-camera data set was used to determine the unit cell, the space group and to position the initial model. A high-resolution synchrotron powder data set was used to position a more detailed model using torsion-angle variation and to refine the structure leading to Rp = 0.0689, Rw = 0.0805 and GoF = 1.38. The crystal structure at room temperature shows the existence of two symmetry-equivalent iron(II) ions in the high-spin state.

The joint probability distributions of structure-factor doublets in displacive incommensurately modulated structures and their applicability to direct methods.

In 1993, alternative normalized structure factors for incommensurately modulated structures were defined [Lam, Beurskens & van Smaalen (1993). Acta Cryst. A49, 709-721]. The probability distribution associated with the structure invariants E(-H)E(H')E(H - H') has approximately the same functional form as the Cochran distribution. It was shown, however, that triplet-phase relations are relatively less reliable when satellites are involved [de Gelder, Israël, Lam, Beurskens, van Smaalen, Fu & Fan (1996). Acta Cryst. A52, 947-954]. In the present paper, an alternative approach is presented: instead of studying the distribution of a three-phase invariant, the probability distribution of the phase sum of two first-order satellite reflections (h,k,l,1 and h',k',l',-1) has been derived under the assumption that the phase of the associated main reflection (h + h',k + k',l + l',0) can be calculated from the known main (or averaged) structure. Intensive tests with randomly generated artificial structures and one real structure show a significant improvement of direct-methods phase-sum statistics. Functional similarities with conventional direct methods, employing normalized structure factors and the Cochran distribution, are discussed.

Structure of beta-trimyristin and beta-tristearin from high-resolution X-ray powder diffraction data.

The crystal structures of beta-1,2,3-tritetradecanoylglycerol (beta-trimyristin or beta-MMM) and beta-1,2,3-trioctadecanoylglycerol (beta-tristearin or beta-SSS) have been determined from high-resolution synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction data. Grid search and Rietveld refinement have been used to determine and refine the structure, respectively. Both substances crystallize in space group P1; with Z = 2. The unit-cell parameters for beta-MMM are a = 12.0626 (6), b = 41.714 (1), c = 5.4588 (3) A, alpha = 73.388 (4), beta = 100.408 (5) and gamma = 118.274 (4) degrees. For beta-SSS the unit-cell parameters are a = 12.0053 (7), b = 51.902 (2), c = 5.4450 (3) A, alpha = 73.752 (5), beta = 100.256 (6) and gamma = 117.691 (5) degrees. Soft-distance restraints have been applied to the molecules during refinement. For beta-MMM the final R(p) value obtained is 0.053 and for beta-SSS the final R(p) value is 0.041.

Structure of CnCn+2Cn-type (n = even) beta'-triacylglycerols.

The crystal structures of the beta' phase of CLC (1, 3-didecanoyl-2-dodecanoylglycerol) and MPM (1, 3-ditetradecanoyl-2-hexadecanoylglycerol) have been determined from single-crystal X-ray diffraction and high-resolution X-ray powder diffraction data, respectively. Both these crystals are orthorhombic with space group Iba2 and Z = 8. The unit-cell parameters of beta'-CLC are a = 57.368 (6), b = 22.783 (2) and c = 5.6945 (6) A and the final R value is 0.175. The unit-cell parameters of beta'-MPM are a = 76.21 (4), b = 22.63 (1) and c = 5.673 (2) A and the final R(p) value is 0.057. Both the beta'-CLC and beta'-MPM molecules are crystallized in a chair conformation, having a bend at the glycerol moiety. The zigzag planes of the acyl chains are orthogonally packed, as is typical for a beta' phase. Furthermore, unit-cell parameters of some other members of the C(n)C(n+2)C(n)-type triacylglycerol series have been refined on their high-resolution X-ray powder diffraction pattern. Finally, the crystal structures are compared with the currently known structures and models of triacylglycerols.

Structure of mono-acid even-numbered beta-triacylglycerols.

The crystal structure of the beta polymorph of tripalmitin (1,2,3-trihexadecanoylglycerol, beta-PPP) has been determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The molecules crystallize in space group P1; in an asymmetric tuning-fork conformation. This structure and the already-known crystal structures of beta-tricaprin (beta-CCC) and beta-trilaurin (beta-LLL) could be matched in an overlap model. Apart from a difference in chain length, the three structures are almost identical. The overlap model can be used to predict the crystal structure of the other members of the C(n)C(n)C(n)-type (n = even) TAG series reasonably accurately. This is demonstrated by predicting the crystal structure for beta-trimyristin (beta-MMM) and successively comparing the experimental and calculated X-ray powder diagrams.