A Z′ = 6 crystal structure of (E)-N,N′-dicyclohexylacetamidine

The crystal and molecular structure of (E)-N,N′-dicyclohexylacetamidine (1) is described. Crystalline material of 1 was obtained by sublimation. Single-crystal X-ray analysis revealed a centrosymmetric triclinic structure (space group P 1 ¯ ) with six molecules in the asymmetric unit (Z′ = 6). The six crystallographically distinct molecules all exhibit an E-syn structure, but differ in the orientation of the cyclohexyl groups about the central acetamidine moiety. In the crystal, the molecules form polymeric helices via NH⋯N hydrogen bonds. The crystal structure comprises two crystallographically distinct helices of opposite handedness (P and M form). The characterisation of 1 in the solid-state is augmented by powder X-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy and thermal analysis. Density functional theory (DFT) structure optimisation and frequency calculation were performed at the B3LYP/cc-pVTZ level. The DFT results for the isolated molecule are compared with the experimental results for the solid-state.