The title pyridazin-3(2H)-one derivative, C25H19FN2O2, crystallizes with two independent mol­ecules (A and B) in the asymmetric unit. In mol­ecule A, the 4-fluoro­phenyl ring, the benzyl ring and the phenyl ring are inclined to the central pyridazine ring by 86.54 (11), 3.70 (9) and 84.857 (13)°, respectively. In mol­ecule B, the corresponding dihedral angles are 86.80 (9), 10.47 (8) and 82.01 (10)°, respectively. In the crystal, the A mol­ecules are linked by pairs of C—H⋯F hydrogen bonds, forming inversion dimers with an R22(28) ring motif. The dimers are linked by C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds and a C—H⋯π inter­action, forming columns stacking along the a-axis direction. The B mol­ecules are linked to each other in a similar manner and form columns separating the columns of A mol­ecules.

The title tetra­nuclear copper complex, [Cu4Cl6O(C6H9N3O3)4] or [Cu4Cl6O­(MET)4] [MET is 1-(2-hy­droxy­eth­yl)-2-methyl-5-nitro-1H-imidazole or metronidazole], contains a tetra­hedral arrangement of copper(II) ions. Each copper atom is also linked to the other three copper atoms in the tetra­hedron via bridging chloride ions. A fifth coordination position on each metal atom is occupied by a nitro­gen atom of the monodentate MET ligand. The result is a distorted CuCl3NO trigonal–bipyramidal coordination polyhedron with the axial positions occupied by oxygen and nitro­gen atoms. The extended structure displays O—H⋯O hydrogen bonding, as well as unusual short O⋯N inter­actions [2.775 (4) Å] between the nitro groups of adjacent clusters that are oriented perpendicular to each other. The scattering contribution of disordered water and methanol solvent mol­ecules was removed using the SQUEEZE procedure [Spek (2015). Acta Cryst. C71, 9–16] in PLATON [Spek (2009). Acta Cryst. D65, 148–155].

The monocation product of the oxidative condensation–cyclization between two mol­ecules of pyridine-2-carbaldehyde and one mol­ecule of CH3NH2·HCl in methanol, 2-methyl-3-(pyridin-2-yl)imidazo[1,5-a]pyridinium, was isolated in the presence of metal ions as bis­[2-methyl-3-(pyridin-2-yl)imidazo[1,5-a]pyridin-2-ium] tetra­iodo­cadmate, (C13H12N3)2[CdI4], (I), and the mixed chloride/nitrate salt, bis­[2-methyl-3-(pyridin-2-yl)imidazo[1,5-a]pyridin-2-ium] 1.5-chlor­ide 0.5-nitrate trihydrate, 2C13H12N3+·1.5Cl−·0.5NO3−·3H2O, (II). Hybrid salt (I) crystallizes in the space group P21/n with two [L]2[CdI4] mol­ecules in the asymmetric unit related by pseudosymmetry. In the crystal of (I), layers of organic cations and of tetra­halometallate anions are stacked parallel to the ab plane. Anti­parallel L+ cations disposed in a herring-bone pattern form π-bonded chains through aromatic stacking. In the inorganic layer, adjacent tetra­hedral CdI4 units have no connectivity but demonstrate close packing of iodide anions. In the crystal lattice of (II), the cations are arranged in stacks propagating along the a axis; the one-dimensional hydrogen-bonded polymer built of chloride ions and water mol­ecules runs parallel to a column of stacked cations.

In the title di­thio­glycoluril derivative, C19H20N4O3S2, there is a difference in the torsion angles between the thio­imidazole moiety and the meth­oxy­phenyl groups on either side of the mol­ecule [C—N—Car—Car = 116.9 (2) and −86.1 (3)°, respectively]. The N—C—N bond angle on one side of the di­thio­glycoluril moiety is slightly smaller compared to that on the opposite side, [110.9 (2)° cf. 112.0 (2)°], probably as a result of the steric effect of the methyl group. In the crystal, N—H⋯S hydrogen bonds link adjacent mol­ecules to form chains propagating along the c-axis direction. The chains are linked by C—H⋯S hydrogen bonds, forming layers parallel to the bc plane. The layers are then linked by C—H⋯π inter­actions, leading to the formation of a three-dimensional supra­molecular network. Hirshfeld surface analysis and two-dimensional fingerprint plots were used to investigate the mol­ecular inter­actions in the crystal.

Imidazolium salts are common building blocks for functional materials and in the synthesis of N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) as σ-donor ligands for stable metal complexes. The title salt, 1,3-bis­(4-hy­droxy­phen­yl)-1H-imidazol-3-ium chloride (IOH·Cl), C15H13N2O2+·Cl−, is a new imidazolium salt with a hy­droxy functionality. The synthesis of IOH·Cl was achieved in high yield via a two-step procedure involving a di­aza­butadiene precursor followed by ring closure using tri­methylchloro­silane and paraformaldehyde. The structure of IOH·Cl consists of a central planar imidazolium ring (r.m.s. deviation = 0.0015 Å), with out-of-plane phenolic side arms. The dihedral angles between the 4-hy­droxy­phenyl substituents and the imidazole ring are 55.27 (7) and 48.85 (11)°. In the crystal, O—H⋯Cl hydrogen bonds connect the distal hy­droxy groups and Cl− anions in adjacent asymmetric units, one related by inversion (−x + 1, −y + 1, −z + 1) and one by the n-glide (x − {1over 2}, −y + {1over 2}, z − {1over 2}), with donor–acceptor distances of 2.977 (2) and 3.0130 (18) Å, respectively. The phenolic rings are each π–π stacked with their respective inversion-related [(−x + 1, −y + 1, −z + 1) and (−x, −y + 1, −z + 1)] counterparts, with inter­planar distances of 3.560 (3) and 3.778 (3) Å. The only other noteworthy inter­molecular inter­action is an O⋯O (not hydrogen bonded) close contact of 2.999 (3) Å between crystallographically different hy­droxy O atoms on translationally adjacent mol­ecules (x + 1, y, x + 1).

The title compound, C18H16N4O, consists of a 3,6-bis­(pyridin-2-yl)pyridazine moiety linked to a 4-[(prop-2-en-1-yl­oxy)meth­yl] group. The pyridine-2-yl rings are oriented at a dihedral angle of 17.34 (4)° and are rotated slightly out of the plane of the pyridazine ring. In the crystal, C—HPyrd⋯NPyrdz (Pyrd = pyridine and Pyrdz = pyridazine) hydrogen bonds and C—HPrp­oxy⋯π (Prp­oxy = prop-2-en-1-yl­oxy) inter­actions link the mol­ecules, forming deeply corrugated layers approximately parallel to the bc plane and stacked along the a-axis direction. Hirshfeld surface analysis indicates that the most important contributions for the crystal packing are from H⋯H (48.5%), H⋯C/C⋯H (26.0%) and H⋯N/N⋯H (17.1%) contacts, hydrogen bonding and van der Waals inter­actions being the dominant inter­actions in the crystal packing. Computational chemistry indicates that in the crystal, the C—HPyrd⋯NPyrdz hydrogen-bond energy is 64.3 kJ mol−1. Density functional theory (DFT) optimized structures at the B3LYP/6–311 G(d,p) level are compared with the experimentally determined mol­ecular structure in the solid state. The HOMO–LUMO behaviour was elucidated to determine the energy gap.

In this paper, we describe the synthesis of a new di­hydro-2H-pyridazin-3-one derivative. The mol­ecule, C18H16N2O, is not planar; the benzene and pyridazine rings are twisted with respect to each other, making a dihedral angle of 11.47 (2)°, and the toluene ring is nearly perpendicular to the pyridazine ring, with a dihedral angle of 89.624 (1)°. The mol­ecular conformation is stabilized by weak intra­molecular C—H⋯N contacts. In the crystal, pairs of N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds link the mol­ecules into inversion dimers with an R22(8) ring motif. The inter­molecular inter­actions were investigated using Hirshfeld surface analysis and two-dimensional (2D) fingerprint plots, revealing that the most important contributions for the crystal packing are from H⋯H (56.6%), H⋯C/C⋯H (22.6%), O⋯H/H⋯O (10.0%) and N⋯C/C⋯N (3.5%) inter­actions.

In the title compound, [Cd(NO3)2(C13H11N3)2], the CdII atom lies on a twofold rotation axis and is coordinated by four N atoms and two O atoms, provided by two bidentate 2-(1H-benzimidazol-2-yl)aniline ligands, and two nitrato O atoms, forming a distorted octa­hedral geometry [range of bond angles around the Cd atom = 73.82 (2)–106.95 (8)°]. In the ligand, the dihedral angle between the aniline ring and the benzimidazole ring system is 30.43 (7)°. The discrete complex mol­ecule is stabilized by an intra­molecular N—H⋯O hydrogen bond. In the crystal, inter­molecular N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds link the mol­ecules, forming a three-dimensional network.

The bicyclic imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine core of the title compound, C19H19N3, is relatively planar with an r.m.s. deviation of 0.040 Å. The phenyl ring is inclined to the mean plane of the imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine unit by 18.2 (1)°. In the crystal, mol­ecules are linked by N—H⋯H hydrogen bonds, forming chains along the c-axis direction. The chains are linked by C—H⋯π inter­actions, forming slabs parallel to the ac plane. The Hirshfeld surface analysis and fingerprint plots reveal that the crystal structure is dominated by H⋯H (54%) and C⋯H/H⋯C (35.6%) contacts. The crystal studied was refined as an inversion twin

The title imidazo[1,2-a] pyridine derivative, C13H8Br2N2, was synthesized via a single-step reaction method. The title mol­ecule is planar, showing a dihedral angle of 0.62 (17)° between the phenyl and the imidazo[1,2-a] pyridine rings. An intra­molecular C—H⋯N hydrogen bond with an S(5) ring motif is present. In the crystal, a short H⋯H contact links adjacent mol­ecules into inversion-related dimers. The dimers are linked in turn by weak C—H⋯π and slipped π–π stacking inter­actions, forming layers parallel to (110). The layers are connected into a three-dimensional network by short Br⋯H contacts. Two-dimensional fingerprint plots and three-dimensional Hirshfeld surface analysis of the inter­molecular contacts reveal that the most important contributions for the crystal packing are from H⋯Br/Br⋯H (26.1%), H⋯H (21.7%), H⋯C/C⋯H (21.3%) and C⋯C (6.5%) inter­actions. Energy framework calculations suggest that the contacts formed between mol­ecules are largely dispersive in nature. Analysis of HOMO–LUMO energies from a DFT calculation reveals the pure π character of the aromatic rings with the highest electron density on the phenyl ring, and σ character of the electron density on the Br atoms. The HOMO–LUMO gap was found to be 4.343 eV.

The asymmetric units of the title compounds both contain one nonplanar mol­ecule. In 4-benzyl-6-phenyl-4,5-di­hydro­pyridazin-3(2H)-one, C17H14N2O, (I), the phenyl and pyridazine rings are twisted with respect to each other, making a dihedral angle of 46.69 (9)°; the phenyl ring of the benzyl group is nearly perpendicular to the plane of the pyridazine ring, the dihedral angle being 78.31 (10)°. In methyl 2-[5-(2,6-di­chloro­benz­yl)-6-oxo-3-phenyl-1,4,5,6-tetra­hydropyridazin-1-yl]acetate, C20H16Cl2N2O3, (II), the phenyl and pyridazine rings are twisted with respect to each other, making a dihedral angle of 21.76 (18)°, whereas the phenyl ring of the di­chloro­benzyl group is inclined to the pyridazine ring by 79.61 (19)°. In the crystal structure of (I), pairs of N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds link the mol­ecules into inversion dimers with an R22(8) ring motif. In the crystal structure of (II), C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds generate dimers with R12(7), R22(16) and R22(18) ring motifs. The Hirshfeld surface analyses of compound (I) suggests that the most significant contributions to the crystal packing are by H⋯H (48.2%), C⋯H/H⋯C (29.9%) and O⋯H/H⋯O (8.9%) contacts. For compound (II), H⋯H (34.4%), C⋯H/H⋯C (21.3%) and O⋯H/H⋯O (16.5%) inter­actions are the most important contributions.

The title com­pound, C22H16N4O2, contains two pyridine rings and one meth­oxy­carbonyl­phenyl group attached to a pyridazine ring which deviates very slightly from planarity. In the crystal, ribbons consisting of inversion-related chains of mol­ecules extending along the a-axis direction are formed by C—HMthy⋯OCarbx (Mthy = methyl and Carbx = carboxyl­ate) hydrogen bonds. The ribbons are connected into layers parallel to the bc plane by C—HBnz⋯π(ring) (Bnz = benzene) inter­actions. The Hirshfeld surface analysis of the crystal structure indicates that the most important contributions for the crystal packing are from H⋯H (39.7%), H⋯C/C⋯H (27.5%), H⋯N/N⋯H (15.5%) and O⋯H/H⋯O (11.1%) inter­actions. Hydrogen-bonding and van der Waals inter­actions are the dominant inter­actions in the crystal packing. Computational chemistry indicates that in the crystal, C—HMthy⋯OCarbx hydrogen-bond energies are 62.0 and 34.3 kJ mol−1, respectively. Density functional theory (DFT) optimized structures at the B3LYP/6-311G(d,p) level are com­pared with the experimentally determined mol­ecular structure in the solid state. The HOMO–LUMO behaviour was elucidated to determine the energy gap.

The crystal and mol­ecular structures of the title CuII complex, isolated as a dihydrate, [Cu(C21H14N3O3)2]·2H2O, reveals a highly distorted coordination geometry inter­mediate between square-planar and tetra­hedral defined by an N2O2 donor set derived from two mono-anionic bidentate ligands. Furthermore, each six-membered chelate ring adopts an envelope conformation with the Cu atom being the flap. In the crystal, imidazolyl-amine-N—H⋯O(water), water-O—H⋯O(coordinated, nitro and water), phenyl-C—H⋯O(nitro) and π(imidazol­yl)–π(nitro­benzene) [inter-centroid distances = 3.7452 (14) and 3.6647 (13) Å] contacts link the components into a supra­molecular layer lying parallel to (101). The connections between layers forming a three-dimensional architecture are of the types nitro­benzene-C—H⋯O(nitro) and phenyl-C—H⋯π(phen­yl). The distorted coordination geometry for the CuII atom is highlighted in an analysis of the Hirshfeld surface calculated for the metal centre alone. The significance of the inter­molecular contacts is also revealed in a study of the calculated Hirshfeld surfaces; the dominant contacts in the crystal are H⋯H (41.0%), O⋯H/H⋯O (27.1%) and C⋯H/H⋯C (19.6%).

A 1:1 epimeric mixture of 3-[(4-nitro­benzyl­idene)amino]-2(R,S)-(4-nitro­phen­yl)-5(S)-(propan-2-yl)imidazolidin-4-one, C19H19N5O5, was isolated from a reaction mixture of 2(S)-amino-3-methyl-1-oxo­butane­hydrazine and 4-nitro­benz­alde­hyde in ethanol. The product was derived from an initial reaction of 2(S)-amino-3-methyl-1-oxo­butane­hydrazine at its hydrazine group to provide a 4-nitro­benzyl­idene derivative, followed by a cyclization reaction with another mol­ecule of 4-nitro­benzaldehyde to form the chiral five-membered imidazolidin-4-one ring. The formation of the five-membered imidazolidin-4-one ring occurred with retention of the configuration at the 5-position, but with racemization at the 2-position. In the crystal, N—H⋯O(nitro) hydrogen bonds, weak C—H⋯O(carbon­yl) and C—H⋯O(nitro) hydrogen bonds, as well as C—H⋯π, N—H⋯π and π–π inter­actions, are present. These combine to generate a three-dimensional array. Hirshfeld surface analysis and PIXEL calculations are also reported.

In the title com­pound, C13H14N2O3, the dihydropyridazine ring (r.m.s. deviation = 0.166 Å) has a screw-boat conformation. The dihedral angle between its mean plane and the benzene ring is 0.77 (12)°. In the crystal, inter­molecular O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds generate C(5) chains and N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds produce R22(8) motifs. These types of inter­actions lead to the formation of layers parallel to (12overline{1}). The three-dimensional network is achieved by C—H⋯O inter­actions, including R24(8) motifs. Inter­molecular inter­actions were additionally investigated using Hirshfeld surface analysis and two-dimensional fingerprint plots. The most significant contributions to the crystal packing are by H⋯H (43.3%), H⋯C/C⋯H (19.3%), H⋯O/H⋯O (22.6%), C⋯N/N⋯C (3.0%) and H⋯N/N⋯H (5.8%) contacts. C—H⋯π inter­actions and aromatic π–π stacking inter­actions are not observed.

The new title one-dimensional CdII coordination polymer, [Cd(C10H10N2)2(μ1,3-N3)2]n, has been synthesized and structurally characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The asymmetric unit consists of a CdII ion, one azide and one 1-benzyl­imidazole (bzi) ligand. The CdII ion is located on an inversion centre and is surrounded in a distorted octa­hedral coordination sphere by six N atoms from four symmetry-related azide ligands and two symmetry-related bzi ligands. The CdII ions are linked by double azide bridging ligands within a μ1,3-N3 end-to-end (EE) coordination mode, leading to a one-dimensional linear structure extending parallel to [100]. The supra­molecular framework is stabilized by the presence of weak C—H⋯N inter­actions, π–π stacking [centroid-to-centroid distance of 3.832 (2) Å] and C—H⋯π inter­actions between neighbouring chains.

In the title compound, C10H10N2OS, the five atoms of the thio­phene ring are essentially coplanar (r.m.s. deviation = 0.0037 Å) and the pyridazine ring is non-planar. In the crystal, pairs of N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds link the mol­ecules into dimers with an R22(8) ring motif. The dimers are linked by C—H⋯O inter­actions, forming layers parallel to the bc plane. The theoretical geometric parameters are in good agreement with XRD results. The inter­molecular inter­actions were investigated using a Hirshfeld surface analysis and two-dimensional fingerprint plots. The Hirshfeld surface analysis of the title compound suggests that the most significant contributions to the crystal packing are by H⋯H (39.7%), C⋯H/H⋯C (17.3%) and O⋯H/H⋯O (16.8%) contacts.

The title pyridazinone derivative, C20H18N2O3, is not planar. The phenyl ring and the pyridazine ring are inclined to each other by 10.55 (12)°, whereas the 4-methyl­benzyl ring is nearly orthogonal to the pyridazine ring, with a dihedral angle of 72.97 (10)°. In the crystal, mol­ecules are linked by pairs of O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds, forming inversion dimers with an R22(14) ring motif. The dimers are linked by C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds, generating ribbons propagating along the c-axis direction. The inter­molecular inter­actions were additionally investigated using Hirshfeld surface analysis and two-dimensional fingerprint plots. They revealed that the most significant contributions to the crystal packing are from H⋯H (48.4%), H⋯O/O⋯H (21.8%) and H⋯C/C⋯H (20.4%) contacts. Mol­ecular orbital calculations providing electron-density plots of HOMO and LUMO mol­ecular orbitals and mol­ecular electrostatic potentials (MEP) were also computed, both with the DFT/B3LYP/6–311 G++(d,p) basis set.

In the title hydrated hybrid compound C14H14N2OS2·H2O, the planar imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine ring system is linked to the 1,3-di­thiol­ane moiety by an enone bridge. The atoms of the C—C bond in the 1,3-di­thiol­ane ring are disordered over two positions with occupancies of 0.579 (14) and 0.421 (14) and both disordered rings adopt a half-chair conformation. The oxygen atom of the enone bridge is involved in a weak intra­molecular C—H⋯O hydrogen bond, which generates an S(6) graph-set motif. In the crystal, the hybrid mol­ecules are associated in R22(14) dimeric units by weak C—H⋯O inter­actions. O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds link the water mol­ecules, forming infinite self-assembled chains along the b-axis direction to which the dimers are connected via O—H⋯N hydrogen bonding. Analysis of inter­molecular contacts using Hirshfeld surface analysis and contact enrichment ratio descriptors indicate that hydrogen bonds induced by water mol­ecules are the main driving force in the crystal packing formation.

Three title compounds, namely, 2-(4-chloro­benz­yl)-5-[(1H-indol-3-yl)meth­yl]-6-phenyl­imidazo[2,1-b][1,3,4]thia­diazole, C26H19ClN4S, (I), 2-(4-chloro­benz­yl)-6-(4-fluoro­phen­yl)-5-[(1H-indol-3-yl)meth­yl]imidazo[2,1-b][1,3,4]thia­diazole, C26H18ClFN4S, (II), and 6-(4-bromo­phen­yl)-2-(4-chloro­benz­yl)-5-[(1H-indol-3-yl)meth­yl]imidazo[2,1-b][1,3,4]thia­diazole, C26H18BrClN4S, (III), have been prepared using a reductive condensation of indole with the corresponding 6-aryl-2-(4-chloro­benz­yl)imidazo[2,1-b][1,3,4]thia­diazole-5-carbaldehydes (aryl = phenyl, 4-fluoro­phenyl or 4-bromo­phen­yl), and their crystal structures have been determined. The asymmetric unit of compound (I) consists of two independent mol­ecules and one of the mol­ecules exhibits disorder of the 4-chloro­benzyl substituent with occupancies 0.6289 (17) and 0.3711 (17). Each type of mol­ecule forms a C(8) chain motif built from N—H⋯N hydrogen bonds, which for the fully ordered mol­ecule is reinforced by C—H⋯π inter­actions. In compound (II), the chloro­benzyl unit is again disordered, with occupancies 0.822 (6) and 0.178 (6), and the mol­ecules form C(8) chains similar to those in (I), reinforced by C—H⋯π inter­actions involving only the major disorder component. The chloro­benzyl unit in compound (III) is also disordered with occupancies of 0.839 (5) and 0.161 (5). The mol­ecules are linked by a combination of one N—H⋯N hydrogen bond and four C—H⋯π inter­actions, forming a three-dimensional framework.

Authors of a paper that includes a new crystal-structure determination are expected to not only report the structural results of inter­est and their inter­pretation, but are also expected to archive in computer-readable CIF format the experimental data on which the crystal-structure analysis is based. Additionally, an IUCr/checkCIF validation report will be required for the review of a submitted paper. Such a validation report, automatically created from the deposited CIF file, lists as ALERTS not only potential errors or unusual findings, but also suggestions for improvement along with inter­esting information on the structure at hand. Major ALERTS for issues are expected to have been acted on already before the submission for publication or discussed in the associated paper and/or commented on in the CIF file. In addition, referees, readers and users of the data should be able to make their own judgment and inter­pretation of the underlying experimental data or perform their own calculations with the archived data. All the above is consistent with the FAIR (findable, accessible, inter­operable, and reusable) initiative [Helliwell (2019). Struct. Dyn. 6, 05430]. Validation can also be helpful for less experienced authors in pointing to and avoiding of crystal-structure determination and inter­pretation pitfalls. The IUCr web-based checkCIF server provides such a validation report, based on data uploaded in CIF format. Alternatively, a locally installable checkCIF version is available to be used iteratively during the structure-determination process. ALERTS come mostly as short single-line messages. There is also a short explanation of the ALERTS available through the IUCr web server or with the locally installed PLATON/checkCIF version. This paper provides additional background information on the checkCIF procedure and additional details for a number of ALERTS along with options for how to act on them.

The unit cell of the title compound, [Zn(C17H18N3O4)2]·CH4O·C2H6O, contains two complex mol­ecules related by an inversion centre, plus one methanol and one ethanol solvent molecule per complex molecule. In each complex, two deprotonated pyridine aroylhydrazone ligands {3,4,5-trimeth­oxy-N'-[1-(pyridin-2-yl)ethyl­idene]benzohydrazide} coordinate to the ZnII ion through the N atoms of the pyridine group and the ketamine, and, additionally, through the O atom of the enolate group. In the crystal, dimers are formed by π–π inter­actions between the planar ligand moieties, which are further connected by C⋯O and C⋯C inter­actions. The inter­molecular inter­actions were investigated using Hirshfeld surface analysis and two-dimensional fingerprint plots, revealing that the most important contributions for the crystal packing are from H⋯H (44.8%), H⋯C/C⋯H (22.2%), H⋯O/O⋯H (18.7%) and C⋯C (3.9%) inter­actions.

A new organic–inorganic hybrid salt [L]2[MnCl4] (I) where L+ is the 2-methyl-3-(pyridin-2-yl)imidazo[1,5-a]pyridinium cation, is built of discrete organic cations and tetra­chlorido­manganate(II) anions. The L+ cation was formed in situ in the oxidative cyclo­condensation of 2-pyridine­carbaldehyde and CH3NH2·HCl in methanol. The structure was refined as a two-component twin using PLATON (Spek, 2020) to de-twin the data. The twin law (−1 0 0 0 − 1 0 0.5 0 1) was applied in the refinement where the twin component fraction refined to 0.155 (1). The compound crystallizes in the space group P21/c with two crystallographically non-equivalent cations in the asymmetric unit, which possess similar structural conformations. The fused pyridinium and imidazolium rings of the cations are virtually coplanar [dihedral angles are 0.89 (18) and 0.78 (17)°]; the pendant pyridyl rings are twisted by 36.83 (14) and 36.14 (13)° with respect to the planes of the remaining atoms of the cations. The tetra­hedral MnCl42– anion is slightly distorted with the Mn—Cl distances falling in the range 2.3469 (10)–2.3941 (9) Å. The distortion value of 0.044 relative to the ideal tetra­hedron was obtained by continuous shape measurement (CShM) analysis. In the crystal, the cations and anions form separate stacks propagating along the a-axis direction. The organic cations display weak π–π stacking. The anions, which are stacked identically one above the other, demonstrate loose packing; the minimum Mn⋯Mn separation in the cation stack is approximately 7.49 Å. The investigation of the fluorescent properties of a powdered sample of (I) showed no emission. X-band EPR data for (I) at 293 and 77 K revealed broad fine structure signals, indicating moderate zero-field splitting.

In the title mol­ecule, C12H13N3O2S, the benzo­thia­zine moiety is slightly non-planar, with the imidazolidine portion twisted only a few degrees out of the mean plane of the former. In the crystal, a layer structure parallel to the bc plane is formed by a combination of O—HHydethy⋯NThz hydrogen bonds and weak C—HImdz⋯OImdz and C—HBnz⋯OImdz (Hydethy = hy­droxy­ethyl, Thz = thia­zole, Imdz = imidazolidine and Bnz = benzene) inter­actions, together with C—HImdz⋯π(ring) and head-to-tail slipped π-stacking [centroid-to-centroid distances = 3.6507 (7) and 3.6866 (7) Å] inter­actions between thia­zole rings. The Hirshfeld surface analysis of the crystal structure indicates that the most important contributions for the crystal packing are from H⋯H (47.0%), H⋯O/O⋯H (16.9%), H⋯C/C⋯H (8.0%) and H⋯S/S⋯H (7.6%) inter­actions. Hydrogen bonding and van der Waals inter­actions are the dominant inter­actions in the crystal packing. Computational chemistry indicates that in the crystal, C—H⋯N and C—H⋯O hydrogen-bond energies are 68.5 (for O—HHydethy⋯NThz), 60.1 (for C—HBnz⋯OImdz) and 41.8 kJ mol−1 (for C—HImdz⋯OImdz). Density functional theory (DFT) optimized structures at the B3LYP/6–311 G(d,p) level are compared with the experimentally determined mol­ecular structure in the solid state.

Two polymorphs of the title compound, C19H16N2O3, were obtained from ethano­lic (polymorph I) and methano­lic solutions (polymorph II), respectively. Both polymorphs crystallize in the monoclinic system with four formula units per cell and a complete mol­ecule in the asymmetric unit. The main difference between the mol­ecules of (I) and (II) is the reversed position of the hy­droxy group of the carb­oxy­lic function. All other conformational features are found to be similar in the two mol­ecules. The different orientation of the OH group results in different hydrogen-bonding schemes in the crystal structures of (I) and (II). Whereas in (I) inter­molecular O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds with the pyridazinone carbonyl O atom as acceptor generate chains with a C(7) motif extending parallel to the b-axis direction, in the crystal of (II) pairs of inversion-related O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds with an R22(8) ring motif between two carb­oxy­lic functions are found. The inter­molecular inter­actions in both crystal structures were analysed using Hirshfeld surface analysis and two-dimensional fingerprint plots.

Two salts were prepared by methyl­ation of the respective imidazoline-2-thione at the sulfur atom, using Meerwein's salt (tri­methyl­oxonium tetra­fluorido­borate) in CH2Cl2. 1,3-Dimeth­oxy-2-(methyl­sulfan­yl)imidazolium tetra­fluorido­borate (1), C6H11N2O2S+·BF4−, displays a syn conformation of its two meth­oxy groups relative to each other whereas the two benz­yloxy groups present in 1,3-dibenz­yloxy-2-(methyl­sulfan­yl)imidazolium tetra­fluorido­borate (2), C18H19N2O2S+·BF4−, adopt an anti conformation. In the mol­ecules of 1 and 2, the methyl­sulfanyl group is rotated out of the plane of the respective heterocyclic ring. In both crystal structures, inter­molecular inter­actions are dominated by C—H⋯F—B contacts, leading to three-dimensional networks. The tetra­fluorido­borate counter-ion of 2 is disordered over three orientations (occupancy ratio 0.42:0.34:0.24), which are related by rotation about one of the B—F bonds.

The title complexes, (η4-cyclo­octa-1,5-diene)bis­(1,3-di­methyl­imidazol-2-yl­idene)iridium(I) iodide, [Ir(C5H8N2)2(C8H12)]I, (1) and (η4-cyclo­octa-1,5-di­ene)bis­(1,3-di­ethyl­imidazol-2-yl­idene)iridium(I) iodide, [Ir(C7H12N2)2(C8H12)]I, (2), were prepared using a modified literature method. After carrying out the oxidative addition of the amino acid l-proline to [Ir(COD)(IMe)2]I in water and slowly cooling the reaction to room temperature, a suitable crystal of 1 was obtained and analyzed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction at 100 K. Although this crystal structure has previously been reported in the Pbam space group, it was highly disordered and precise atomic coordinates were not calculated. A single crystal of 2 was also obtained by heating the complex in water and letting it slowly cool to room temperature. Complex 1 was found to crystallize in the monoclinic space group C2/m, while 2 crystallizes in the ortho­rhom­bic space group Pccn, both with Z = 4.

The solid-state structure of bis­(1-mesityl-1H-imidazole-κN3)di­phenyl­boron tri­fluoro­methane­sulfonate, C36H38BN4+·CF3SO3− or (Ph2B(MesIm)2OTf), is reported. Bis(1-mesityl-1H-imidazole-κN3)di­phenyl­boron (Ph2B(MesIm)2+) is a bulky ligand that crystallizes in the ortho­rhom­bic space group Pbcn. The asymmetric unit contains one Ph2B(MesIm)2+ cationic ligand and one tri­fluoro­methane­sulfonate anion that balances the positive charge of the ligand. The tetra­hedral geometry around the boron center is distorted as a result of the steric bulk of the phenyl groups. Weak inter­actions, such as π–π stacking are present in the crystal structure.

The title compound, C24H30Br2N4O2, consists of a 2-(4-nitro­phen­yl)-4H-imidazo[4,5-b]pyridine entity with a 12-bromo­dodecyl substituent attached to the pyridine N atom. The middle eight-carbon portion of the side chain is planar to within 0.09 (1) Å and makes a dihedral angle of 21.9 (8)° with the mean plane of the imidazolo­pyridine moiety, giving the mol­ecule a V-shape. In the crystal, the imidazolo­pyridine units are associated through slipped π–π stacking inter­actions together with weak C—HPyr⋯ONtr and C—HBrmdc­yl⋯ONtr (Pyr = pyridine, Ntr = nitro and Brmdcyl = bromo­dodec­yl) hydrogen bonds. The 12-bromo­dodecyl chains overlap with each other between the stacks. The terminal –CH2Br group of the side chain shows disorder over two resolved sites in a 0.902 (3):0.098 (3) ratio. Hirshfeld surface analysis indicates that the most important contributions for the crystal packing are from H⋯H (48.1%), H⋯Br/Br⋯H (15.0%) and H⋯O/O⋯H (12.8%) inter­actions. The optimized mol­ecular structure, using density functional theory at the B3LYP/ 6–311 G(d,p) level, is compared with the experimentally determined structure in the solid state. The HOMO–LUMO behaviour was elucidated to determine the energy gap.

In the title compound, C21H15N2+·C7H5O2−, 2-phenyl-1H-phenanthro[9,10-d]imidazole and benzoic acid form an ion pair complex. The system is consolidated by hydrogen bonds along with π–π inter­actions and N—H⋯π inter­actions between the constituent units. For a better understanding of the crystal structure and inter­molecular inter­actions, a Hirshfeld surface analysis was performed.

The title compound, [Mn(C3H7NO)4(H2O)2][Cu5(C7H4NO3)4]·C3H7NO or cis-[Mn(H2O)2(DMF)4]{Cu[12-MCCu(II)N(shi)-4]}·DMF, where MC is metallacrown, shi3− is salicyl­hydroximate, and DMF is N,N-di­methyl­formamide, crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P21/n. Two crystallographically independent metallacrown anions are present in the structure, and both anions exhibit minor main mol­ecule disorder by an approximate (non-crystallographic) 180° rotation with occupancy ratios of 0.9010 (9) to 0.0990 (9) for one anion and 0.9497 (8) to 0.0503 (8) for the other. Each penta­copper(II) metallacrown contains four CuII ions in the MC ring and a CuII ion captured in the central cavity. Each CuII ion is four-coordinate with a square-planar geometry. The anionic {Cu[12-MCCu(II)N(shi)-4]}2− is charged-balanced by the presence of a cis-[Mn(H2O)2(DMF)4]2+ cation located in the lattice. In addition, the octa­hedral MnII counter-cation is hydrogen bonded to both MC anions via the coordinated water mol­ecules of the MnII ion. The water mol­ecules form hydrogen bonds with the phenolate and carbonyl oxygen atoms of the shi3− ligands of the MCs.

Tannerella forsythia is an oral dysbiotic periodontopathogen involved in severe human periodontal disease. As part of its virulence factor armamentarium, at the site of colonization it secretes mirolysin, a metallopeptidase of the unicellular pappalysin family, as a zymogen that is proteolytically auto-activated extracellularly at the Ser54–Arg55 bond. Crystal structures of the catalytically impaired promirolysin point mutant E225A at 1.4 and 1.6 Å revealed that latency is exerted by an N-terminal 34-residue pro-segment that shields the front surface of the 274-residue catalytic domain, thus preventing substrate access. The catalytic domain conforms to the metzincin clan of metallopeptidases and contains a double calcium site, which acts as a calcium switch for activity. The pro-segment traverses the active-site cleft in the opposite direction to the substrate, which precludes its cleavage. It is anchored to the mature enzyme through residue Arg21, which intrudes into the specificity pocket in cleft sub-site S1'. Moreover, residue Cys23 within a conserved cysteine–glycine motif blocks the catalytic zinc ion by a cysteine-switch mechanism, first described for mammalian matrix metallopeptidases. In addition, a 1.5 Å structure was obtained for a complex of mature mirolysin and a tetradecapeptide, which filled the cleft from sub-site S1' to S6'. A citrate molecule in S1 completed a product-complex mimic that unveiled the mechanism of substrate binding and cleavage by mirolysin, the catalytic domain of which was already preformed in the zymogen. These results, including a preference for cleavage before basic residues, are likely to be valid for other unicellular pappalysins derived from archaea, bacteria, cyanobacteria, algae and fungi, including archetypal ulilysin from Methanosarcina acetivorans. They may further apply, at least in part, to the multi-domain orthologues of higher organisms.

TatD has been thoroughly investigated as a DNA-repair enzyme and an apoptotic nuclease, and still-unknown TatD-related DNases are considered to play crucial cellular roles. However, studies of TatD from Gram-positive bacteria have been hindered by an absence of atomic detail and the resulting inability to determine function from structure. In this study, an X-ray crystal structure of SAV0491, which is the TatD enzyme from the Gram-positive bacterium Staphylococcus aureus (SaTatD), is reported at a high resolution of 1.85 Å with a detailed atomic description. Although SaTatD has the common TIM-barrel fold shared by most TatD-related homologs, and PDB entry 2gzx shares 100% sequence identity with SAV0491, the crystal structure of SaTatD revealed a unique binding mode of two phosphates interacting with two Ni2+ ions. Through a functional study, it was verified that SaTatD has Mg2+-dependent nuclease activity as a DNase and an RNase. In addition, structural comparison with TatD homologs and the identification of key residues contributing to the binding mode of Ni2+ ions and phosphates allowed mutational studies to be performed that revealed the catalytic mechanism of SaTatD. Among the key residues composing the active site, the acidic residues Glu92 and Glu202 had a critical impact on catalysis by SaTatD. Furthermore, based on the binding mode of the two phosphates and structural insights, a putative DNA-binding mode of SaTatD was proposed using in silico docking. Overall, these findings may serve as a good basis for understanding the relationship between the structure and function of TatD proteins from Gram-positive bacteria and may provide critical insights into the DNA-binding mode of SaTatD.

p-Hydroxymandelate oxidase (Hmo) is a flavin mononucleotide (FMN)-dependent enzyme that oxidizes mandelate to benzoylformate. How the FMN-dependent oxidation is executed by Hmo remains unclear at the molecular level. A continuum of snapshots from crystal structures of Hmo and its mutants in complex with physiological/nonphysiological substrates, products and inhibitors provides a rationale for its substrate enantioselectivity/promiscuity, its active-site geometry/reactivity and its direct hydride-transfer mechanism. A single mutant, Y128F, that extends the two-electron oxidation reaction to a four-electron oxidative decarboxylation reaction was unexpectedly observed. Biochemical and structural approaches, including biochemistry, kinetics, stable isotope labeling and X-ray crystallo­graphy, were exploited to reach these conclusions and provide additional insights.

The Y128F single mutant of p-hydroxymandelate oxidase (Hmo) is capable of oxidizing mandelate to benzoate via a four-electron oxidative decarboxylation reaction. When benzoylformate (the product of the first two-electron oxidation) and hydrogen peroxide (an oxidant) were used as substrates the reaction did not proceed, suggesting that free hydrogen peroxide is not the committed oxidant in the second two-electron oxidation. How the flavin mononucleotide (FMN)-dependent four-electron oxidation reaction takes place remains elusive. Structural and biochemical explorations have shed new light on this issue. 15 high-resolution crystal structures of Hmo and its mutants liganded with or without a substrate reveal that oxidized FMN (FMNox) possesses a previously unknown electrophilic/nucleophilic duality. In the Y128F mutant the active-site perturbation ensemble facilitates the polarization of FMNox to a nucleophilic ylide, which is in a position to act on an α-ketoacid, forming an N5-acyl-FMNred dead-end adduct. In four-electron oxidation, an intramolecular disproportion­ation reaction via an N5-alkanol-FMNred C'α carbanion intermediate may account for the ThDP/PLP/NADPH-independent oxidative decarboxylation reaction. A synthetic 5-deaza-FMNox cofactor in combination with an α-hydroxyamide or α-ketoamide biochemically and structurally supports the proposed mechanism.

A part of the system CaO-SiO2–Al2O3–Fe2O3–MgO which is of relevance to iron-ore sintering has been studied in detail. For a bulk composition corresponding to 10.45 wt% CaO, 5.49 wt% MgO, 69.15 wt% Fe2O3, 13.37 wt% Al2O3 and 1.55 wt% SiO2 synthesis runs have been performed in air in the range between 1100 and 1300°C. Products have been characterized using reflected-light microscopy, electron microprobe analysis and diffraction techniques. At 1250°C, an almost phase-pure material with composition Ca2.99Mg2.67Fe3+14.58Fe2+0.77Al4.56Si0.43O36 has been obtained. The compound corresponds to the first Si-containing representative of the M14+6nO20+8n polysomatic series of so-called SFCA phases (Silico-Ferrites of Calcium and Aluminum) with n = 2 and is denoted as SFCA-III. Single-crystal diffraction investigations using synchrotron radiation at the X06DA beamline of the Swiss Light Source revealed that the chemically homogenous sample contained both a triclinic and monoclinic polytype. Basic crystallographic data are as follows: triclinic form: a = 10.3279 (2) Å, b = 10.4340 (2) Å, c = 14.3794 (2) Å, α = 93.4888 (12)°, β = 107.3209 (14)° and γ = 109.6626 (14)°, V = 1370.49 (5) Å3, Z = 2, space group P{overline 1}; monoclinic form: a = 10.3277 (2) Å, b = 27.0134 (4) Å, c = 10.4344 (2) Å, β = 109.668 (2)°, V = 2741.22 (9) Å3, Z = 4, space group P21/n. Structure determination of both modifications was successful using diffraction data from the same allotwinned crystal. A description of the observed polytypism within the framework of OD-theory is presented. Triclinic and monoclinic SFCA-III actually correspond to the two possible maximum degree of order structures based on OD-layers containing three spinel (S) and one pyroxene (P) modules (〈S3P〉). The existence of SFCA-III in industrial iron-ore sinters has yet to be confirmed. Polytypism is likely to occur in other SFCA-members (SFCA, SFCA-I) relevant to sintering as well, but has so far been neglected in the characterization of industrial samples. Our results shed light on this phenomenon and may therefore be also helpful for better interpretation of the powder diffraction patterns that are used for phase analysis of iron-ore sinters.

Small-angle scattering tensor tomography (SASTT) is a recently developed technique able to tomographically reconstruct the 3D reciprocal space from voxels within a bulk volume. SASTT extends the concept of X-ray computed tomography, which typically reconstructs scalar values, by reconstructing a tensor per voxel, which represents the local nanostructure 3D organization. In this study, the nanostructure orientation in a human trabecular-bone sample obtained by SASTT was validated by sectioning the sample and using 3D scanning small-angle X-ray scattering (3D sSAXS) to measure and analyze the orientation from single voxels within each thin section. Besides the presence of cutting artefacts from the slicing process, the nanostructure orientations obtained with the two independent methods were in good agreement, as quantified with the absolute value of the dot product calculated between the nanostructure main orientations obtained in each voxel. The average dot product per voxel over the full sample containing over 10 000 voxels was 0.84, and in six slices, in which fewer cutting artefacts were observed, the dot product increased to 0.91. In addition, SAXS tensor tomography not only yields orientation information but can also reconstruct the full 3D reciprocal-space map. It is shown that the measured anisotropic scattering for individual voxels was reproduced from the SASTT reconstruction in each voxel of the 3D sample. The scattering curves along different 3D directions are validated with data from single voxels, demonstrating SASTT's potential for a separate analysis of nanostructure orientation and structural information from the angle-dependent intensity distribution.

By using small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) reinforced by scanning electron microscopy, the fine structure of catalysts for polymer electrolyte fuel cells has been investigated. The experimental data resulting from contrast variation with mixed light and heavy water (H2O/D2O) are well described by a core–shell model with fluctuations in concentration between water and Nafion.

EDDIDAT is a program that provides a graphical user interface (GUI) for the evaluation of energy-dispersive X-ray diffraction data with the focus on the depth-resolved residual stress analysis.

A new ZnII metallocryptand is presented, with an unprecedented diflexure helix.

As researchers investigate the impact of the Burmese python in the Everglades, scientists from the Smithsonian Institution, South Florida Natural Resources Center and the University of Florida examined the snake’s predation of the area’s birds. They found that birds, including endangered species, accounted for 25 percent of the python’s diet in the Everglades.

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There is a new candidate for coldest known star: a brown dwarf with about the same temperature as a hot cup of coffee. That’s cool enough to begin crossing the blurry line between small cold stars and big hot planets.

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As a coastal archaeologist and expert in prehistoric and historic settlement sites in the Chesapeake Bay region, Darrin Lowery of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History and University of Deleware, is carefully watching the effects of coastal erosion and rising sea levels on coastal archaeological sites.

The post Rising seas, development are altering prehistoric artifacts in the Chesapeake’s tidal zone appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

A box jellyfish from the Caribbean appears to have recently become established in the red mangroves of Florida near Boca Raton.

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The snakes are not only eating the area’s birds, but also the birds’ eggs straight from the nest.

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Fond of a range of marine and freshwater vegetation such as turtle grass and eelgrass, the Florida manatee spends most of its waking hours grazing […]

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Ants dominate the earth’s ecosystems and many are voracious predators that use their mandibles and sheer numbers to pin down and tear apart most other […]

The post Carabidae in the colony, seven new beetles that bunk with ants: Q&A with Terry Erwin appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

Identifying larval stages of marine fishes in the open ocean is difficult because the young fishes often bear little or no resemblance to the adults […]

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How did the earliest birds take wing? Did they fall from trees and learn to flap their forelimbs to avoid crashing? Or did they run […]

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Tidal Freshwater Wetlands focuses on wetlands found in North America and Europe near the mouths of rivers that flow into estuaries like the Chesapeake Bay.

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