Crystal structure of (E)-dodec-2-enoic acid

Abstract

The crystal structure of (E)-dodec-2-enoic acid, C12H22O2, an α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acid with a melting point (295 K) near room temperature, is characterized by carboxylic acid inversion dimers linked by pairs of O—H...O hydrogen bonds. The carboxylic acid group and the following three carbon atoms of the chain of the (E)-dodec-2-enoic acid molecule lie almost in one plane (r.m.s. deviation for the four C atoms and two O atoms = 0.012 Å), whereas the remaining carbon atoms of the hydrocarbon chain adopt a nearly fully staggered conformation [moduli of torsion angles vary from 174.01 (13) to 179.97 (13)°].

Keywords

• crystal structure
• hydrogen bonding
• dimer
• unsaturated carboxylic acid
• fatty acid