Structural studies on trifluoromethyl substituted 2,5-diphenyl-1,3,4-oxadiazoles

Three new compounds have been synthesized based on the molecular motif 2-[2,6-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]-5-phenyl-1,3,4-oxadiazole, with subsequent CF3-substitution in the ortho-positions of the phenylene ring. The crystal structures of the compounds have been determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction. All compounds have a monoclinic structure. The solid state structure of the compounds is influenced by the electronic properties of the fluorine atoms, leading to the occurrence of C-H center dot center dot center dot F, and C-F center dot center dot center dot pi interactions, partly replacing pi-pi interactions usually observed in the crystal structures of 2,5-diphenyl-1,3,4-oxadiazole derivatives. Other significant interactions than those involving fluorine appear only in rare cases. The strong impact of the fluorine atoms on the intra- and intermolecular interactions, and the molecular conformation lead to novel inputs for the understanding of molecular recognition, supramolecular assembly, and crystal packing of fluorine containing compounds. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.