Structural elucidation of phenoxybenzaldehyde derivatives from laboratory powder X-ray diffraction: A combined experimental and theoretical quantum mechanical study

Crystal structure of two new phenoxybenzaldehyde derivatives, 4-(4-bromophenoxy)benzaldehyde ( 1 ) and 4-(4-nitrophenoxy)benzaldehyde ( 2 ), have been determined from laboratory X-ray powder diffraction data. The synergies of intermolecular C-H middotmiddotmiddotO hydrogen bond, pi middotmiddotmiddot pi, anion middotmiddotmiddot pi and lone-pair(l.p) middotmiddotmiddot pi interactions assemble the molecules into supramolecular frameworks. The quantum chemical calculation has been performed to analyze and characterize weak noncovalent interactions in the molecules. Analy-sis of Hirshfeld surfaces of the compounds showed that the crystal structures are primarily characterized by H middotmiddotmiddotH, H middotmiddotmiddotC and H middotmiddotmiddotO contacts. Bader's theory of atoms-in-molecules' (AIM) is applied to describe the noncovalent interactions for ( 1 ) and ( 2 ). The supramolecular frameworks are further characterized by theoretical Noncovalent Interaction' (NCI) plot index. (C) 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

The crystal structures of two new phenoxybenzaldehyde derivatives have been determined using X-ray powder diffraction data. The molecules are assembled into supramolecular frameworks through various intermolecular interactions. Quantum chemical calculation and Hirshfeld surface analysis are performed to analyze weak noncovalent interactions in the molecules. Bader's theory of atoms-in-molecules and theoretical Noncovalent Interaction plot index are used to describe the noncovalent interactions.