Monitoring structural transformations in crystals. 12. Course of an intramolecular [4 + 4] photocycloaddition in a...

Variations in crystal and molecular structures, brought about by the intramolecular [4 + 4] photocycloaddition of bi(anthracene-9,10-dimethylene), were monitored using X-ray diffraction. The cell volume increased by 0.8% until the reaction was ca 40% complete, and afterwards decreased by 1.6% during the remainder of the photoreaction. The changes of the a and b lattice parameters were correlated with the changes of the molecular shape and packing. The distance between the directly reacting C atoms varied in a manner not observed for other photochemical reactions in crystals. It was constant until ca 20% photoreaction progress, then decreased, and later stabilized from ca 40% photoreaction progress. This phenomenon was explained by interplay between stress resulting from the presence of product molecules and the rigidity of reactant molecules. Changes of the orientation of molecules during the photoreaction were smaller than in the case of other monitored photochemical reactions in crystals owing to similarities in the shape and packing of reactant and product molecules. Weak C-H...pi hydrogen bonds exist among reactant molecules in the pure reactant and partly reacted crystals.