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Updated: May 31, 2026

Preparation and Use of Carbonyl-decorated Carbenes in the Activation of White Phosphorus
Published on: October 3, 2014
β-Carboline (norharman)
Robert J Thatcher1, Richard E Douthwaite
1Department of Chemistry, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD, England. rjt509@york.ac.uk
Abstract:
The structure of β-carboline, also called norharman (systematic name: 9H-pyrido[3,4-b]indole), C(11)H(8)N(2), has been determined at 110 K. Norharman is prevalent in the environment and the human body and is of wide biological interest. The structure exhibits intermolecular N-H···N hydrogen bonding, which results in a one-dimensional herringbone motif. The three rings of the norharman molecule collectively result in a C-shaped curvature of 3.19 (13)° parallel to the long axis. The diffraction data show shorter pyridyl C-C bonds than those reported at the STO-3G level of theory.
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