The chemistry of the brominated derivatives and the crystallographic determination of the structure of the tetrabrominated derivative of the C4-photodimers of 1,4-naphthoquinone

Abstract

The chemical investigation of the relationship between the di- and tetrabrominated photodimers of 1, 4~naphthoquinone was undertaken and a mechanism for the bromination introduced. The crystal and molecular structure of the tetrabromide, c20H8o4Br 4'

was determined by three-dimensional X-ray diffraction methods. It was established that the molecule has the anti conformation in the solid state. It is considerably distorted because of overcrowding of the bromine atoms in cis relationship but the bond lengths are unaffected. The distortion is adequately described in terms of the non-planarity of the cyclobutane ring.