SOM assembly of hydroxynaphthoquinone and its oxime: Polymorphic X-ray structures and EPR studies

Investigation on solvent-induced polymorphism in X-ray structures of 2-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone (Lawsone) 1, is carried out. In protic methanol, 1 crystallizes in monoclinic space group P2(1)/c (1a) comprising of 2D hydrogen bonded network via cyclic dimers. In aprotic solvent such as acetone on the other hand, 1 exhibits orthorhombic space group Pna 2(1) (1b) and emerges with 1D catemeric chain. Solvent-induced topological isomerism of cyclic dimers and helical catemeric chains arising from (i) bifurcated intra- and inter molecular hydrogen bondings viz. O-(HO)-O-...=C interactions between C(2) hydroxyl and C(1), C(4) carbonyls, (ii) C-(HO)-O-... interactions viz. C(3)-(HO)-O-...(1)C(1) have been discussed. A signal for radical in 1 at g = 2.0058 is signatured by EPR spectrum and it's oxime derivative viz. 2-hydroxy-4-naphthoquinone-1-oxime 2, in solid state shows biradical and monoradical formation with aggregation of dimer and monomer due to non-covalent hydrogen bonds. Zero field split parameters for 2 are estimated to be D = 215 G, E-x = 13 G, E-y = 47 G at 298 K. A half field signal at 77 K indicates triplet ground state. Frozen glass EPR of 2 resolves as regioregular dimeric-monomeric species showing hyperfine interactions with 1-oximino nitrogen in dimer A(N-14) = 15.5 G]. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.