Crystal structures of racemic and enantiomeric 5-isopropyl-5-methylhydantoin

Abstract

Crystal structures of racemic and enantiomeric 5-isopropyl-5-methylhydantoin (IPrMH) have been determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction. Melting temperatures and solid state infrared spectra are also measured. Racemic IPrMH has a lower melting temperature than the pure enantiomer by 25 °C. The infrared spectrum of racemic IPrMH is identical with that of the pure enantiomer. Nevertheless, the racemic IPrMH doesn’t crystallize as a conglomerate but as a racemic compound. The racemic and the enantiomeric crystals are very similar to each other in molecular geometries and intermolecular interactions. In the both cases, the molecules are connected via N−H···O hydrogen bonds to form R²₂(8) rings, and these rings are linked into infinite one-dimensional tapes. In the racemic crystal, a single tape is composed of single enantiomer and itself is homochiral.