Crystal structure and synthesis of benzimidazole substituted acrylonitriles and benzimidazo[1, 2-a]quinolines

The benzimidazole compounds and benzoannulated cyclic benzimidazole analogues, such as benzimidazo[1,2-a]quinolines, are a part of our wider investigation on biologically active compounds, potential antitumor drugs. Here, we present the synthesis of two compounds, [2-(1H-benzimidazol-2-yl)-3-(4-bromophenyl)-acrylonitrile, 5] and [2-bromo-benzimidazo[1,2-a]quinoline-6-carbonitrile, 7] and their crystal structures revealed by X-ray single crystal diffractometry. We also report the molecular and crystal structures of two additional compounds [2-(1H-benzimidazol-2-yl)-3-(4-cyanophenyl)-acrylonitrile, 4] and [benzimidazo[1,2-a]quinoline-2,6-dicarbonitrile, 6], whose synthesis and spectroscopic characterization have been published earlier by us too (Hranjec and Karminski-Zamola, Molecules 12:1817, 2007). The compounds 4 and 5 crystallize as monohydrates. The dihedral angles calculated between phenyl and benzimidazole ring reflect not significant deviation from molecular planarity in the crystalline state for 4 and 5, while benzoannulated cyclic benzimidazole derivatives 6 and 7 are essentially planar. The crystal structures of 4 and 5 are characterized by O–H···N and N–H···O hydrogen bonds between water molecule of crystallization and imidazole NH group as well as CN group, while in 6 and 7 only weak C–H···N intermolecular hydrogen bonds exist. Although, crystal packings are analogous in 4 and 5, the molecular conformations differ slightly. In 6 there is one C–H···N hydrogen bond that do not exist in 7.