The tetrasaccharide nystose trihydrate: crystal structure analysis and hydrogen bonding

The crystal structure of nystose trihydrate, O-beta-D-fructofuranosyl-(2-->1)-O-beta-D-fructofuranosyl-(2-->1)-beta-D -fructofuranosyl alpha-D-glucopyranoside trihydrate, C24H42O21.3H2O, has been determined using Cu K alpha X-ray data at 121 K. The space group is P2(1)2(1)2(1), with 4 molecules in a unit cell of dimensions a = 10.155(1), b = 13.506(1), and c = 23.278(2) A. The structure was refined to R = 0.052 and RW = 0.048 for 2734 observed structure amplitudes. The alpha-D-glucopyranose unit of the molecule has the normal 4C1 chair conformation and the three fructofuranose units have twist conformations lying between E3 and 4T5. One of the three water molecules is distributed over two sites: W-3 with occupancy 0.80 and W-3' with occupancy 0.20. All the hydrogen atoms were located on the difference synthesis with the exception of those attached to the low-occupancy water site. All hydroxyls, two of the three linkage oxygen atoms, and the water molecules are involved in a complex three-dimensional network which can be decomposed into a series of infinite chains intersecting at the water molecules to form homo- and hetero-dromic cycles.