organic compounds
Acta Crystallographica Section C
Crystal Structure
Communications
hypnotic, amnesiac and anticonvulsant properties (Kushikata
et al., 2003; Huber et al., 2009). The structures of numerous
barbituric acid derivatives, such as phenobarbital, have been
studied with respect to their ability to form polymorphs
(Williams, 1973, 1974; Platteau et al., 2005; Day et al., 2007).
However, there are only a few examples of sulfur analogues of
barbiturates. Recently, the crystal structure of 5-benzyl-1,3,5-
trimethyltrithiobarbiturate was reported (Takechi et al., 2007).
ISSN 0108-2701
The influence of sulfur substituents on
the molecular geometry and packing
of thio derivatives of N-methyl-
phenobarbital
Alicja Janik,a* Andrzej Olech,a Anna Stasiewicz-Urbanb
and Katarzyna Stadnickaa
aFaculty of Chemistry, Jagiellonian University, Ingardena 3, 30-060 Krakow, Poland,
and bFaculty of Pharmacy, Medical College, Jagiellonian University, Medyczna 9,
30-688 Krakow, Poland
In this paper, we present the crystal structures of four thio
derivatives of N-methylphenobarbital, all crystallizing in the
centrosymmetric space group P21/n. The structural formulae
of the derivatives are given in the scheme. The asymmetric
units of N-methyl-2-thiophenobarbital, 2-TP, N-methyl-4-
Correspondence e-mail: janik@chemia.uj.edu.pl
Received 13 November 2008
Accepted 17 December 2008
Online 14 January 2009
The room-temperature crystal structures of four new thio
derivatives of N-methylphenobarbital [systematic name:
5-ethyl-1-methyl-5-phenylpyrimidine-2,4,6(1H,3H,5H)-trione],
C13H14N2O3, are compared with the structure of the parent
compound. The sulfur substituents in N-methyl-2-thio-
phenobarbital [5-ethyl-1-methyl-5-phenyl-2-thioxo-1,2-di-
hydropyrimidine-4,6(3H,5H)-dione], C13H14N2O2S, N-methyl-
4-thiophenobarbital [5-ethyl-1-methyl-5-phenyl-4-thioxo-
3,4-dihydropyrimidine-2,6(1H,5H)-dione], C13H14N2O2S, and
N-methyl-2,4,6-trithiophenobarbital [5-ethyl-1-methyl-5-
phenylpyrimidine-2,4,6(1H,3H,5H)-trithione], C13H14N2S3,
preserve the heterocyclic ring puckering observed for N-
methylphenobarbital (a half-chair conformation), whereas in
N-methyl-2,4-dithiophenobarbital [5-ethyl-1-methyl-5-phenyl-
2,4-dithioxo-1,2,3,4-tetrahydropyrimidine-6(5H)-one], C13H14-
N2OS2, significant flattening of the ring was detected. The
number and positions of the sulfur substituents influence the
packing and hydrogen-bonding patterns of the derivatives. In
the cases of the 2-thio, 4-thio and 2,4,6-trithio derivatives,
there is a preference for the formation of a ring motif of the
R22(8) type, which is also a characteristic of N-methyl-
phenobarbital, whereas a C(6) chain forms in the 2,4-dithio
derivative. The preferences for hydrogen-bond formation,
which follow the sequence of acceptor position 4 > 2 > 6,
confirm the differences in the nucleophilic properties of the C
atoms of the heterocyclic ring and are consistent with the
course of N-methylphenobarbital thionation reactions.
Comment
Barbiturates are a widespread group of compounds with
various pharmacological activities. In particular, pheno-
barbital, thiopental and pentobarbital have been the subjects
of extensive research due to their anaesthetic, sedative,
Figure 1
The asymmetric units of 2-TP, 4-TP, 2,4-DTP, 2,4,6-TTP and P, showing
the atom-numbering schemes. Displacement ellipsoids are drawn at the
50% probability level.
o70 # 2009 International Union of Crystallography
doi:10.1107/S0108270108043060
Acta Cryst. (2009). C65, o70–o75