Crystal structures of four δ-keto esters and a Cambridge Structural Database analysis of cyano-halogen interactions.

The revived interest in halogen bonding as a tool in pharmaceutical cocrystals and drug design has indicated that cyano-halogen interactions could play an important role. The crystal structures of four closely related δ-keto esters, which differ only in the substitution at a single C atom (by H, OMe, Cl and Br), are compared, namely ethyl 2-cyano-5-oxo-5-phenyl-3-(piperidin-1-yl)pent-2-enoate, C19H22N2O3, (1), ethyl 2-cyano-5-(4-methoxyphenyl)-5-oxo-3-(piperidin-1-yl)pent-2-enoate, C20H24N2O4, (2), ethyl 5-(4-chlorophenyl)-2-cyano-5-oxo-3-(piperidin-1-yl)pent-2-enoate, C19H21ClN2O3, (3), and the previously published ethyl 5-(4-bromophenyl)-2-cyano-5-oxo-3-(piperidin-1-yl)pent-2-enoate, C19H21BrN2O3, (4) [Maurya, Vasudev & Gupta (2013). RSC Adv. 3, 12955-12962]. The molecular conformations are very similar, while there are differences in the molecular assemblies. Intermolecular C-H...O hydrogen bonds are found to be the primary interactions in the crystal packing and are present in all four structures. The halogenated derivatives have additional aromatic-aromatic interactions and cyano-halogen interactions, further stabilizing the molecular packing. A database analysis of cyano-halogen interactions using the Cambridge Structural Database [CSD; Groom & Allen (2014). Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 53, 662-671] revealed that about 13% of the organic molecular crystals containing both cyano and halogen groups have cyano-halogen interactions in their packing. Three geometric parameters for the C-X...N[triple-bond]C interaction (X = F, Cl, Br or I), viz. the N...X distance and the C-X...N and C-N...X angles, were analysed. The results indicate that all the short cyano-halogen contacts in the CSD can be classified as halogen bonds, which are directional noncovalent interactions.